Building Launch Pads in GuiXT
Launch pads are custom screen elements that simplify and streamline the SAP user interface. For example, the Easy Access screen users first encounter when logging into SAP would look something like this:
However, it is possible to completely change this screen to better fit the customer needs. In the following example, the Easy Access screen has been completely changed to appear as shown below:
The code for this is inserted into the script file for the screen (SAPLSMTR_NAVIGATION.E0100.txt) as follows:
del X[IMAGE_CONTAINER]
if not V[G_SCREEN]
set V[G_SCREEN] "MAIN"
endif
include "Screen_&[G_SCREEN].txt"
The above code must be copied and placed into another script file entitled 'SAPLSMTR_NAVIGATION.E0101.txt' as well. This is due to the fact that when a user returns to the Easy Access screen, the script file name changes from 'E0100' to 'E0101'. Thus the contents of E0100 need to be copied in their entirety into E0101 as well. In the preceding code, the Del command is used to remove all current screen elements. Then an If statement is used to determined the actual screen. If the screen is not the main screen, the script will set the screen to be the aforementioned main screen, which contains the launchpad. The main screen (Screen_Main.txt) containing the launchpad appears as shown above and the code is as follows:
box (1,0) (10,96) "Functional Launch Pad"
box (2,34) (5,62) ""
image (2,39) "LOGO.GIF" "start=http://www.synactive.net"
pushbutton (6,2) "@3E@Procurement Menu " process="selectmainmenu.txt" "size=2"
using s_type = "PROM"
pushbutton (8,2) "@3H@Finance Menu " process="selectmainmenu.txt" "size=2"
using s_type = "FINM"
pushbutton (6,34) "@CN@Accounting Menu " process="selectmainmenu.txt" "size=2"
using s_type = "ACTM"
pushbutton (8,34) "@6R@Plant Maintanence Menu " process="selectmainmenu.txt" "size=2"
using s_type = "PLMM"
pushbutton (6,66) "@K4@Logistics Menu " process="selectmainmenu.txt" "size=2"
using s_type = "LOGM"
pushbutton (8,66) "@3D@Report Menu " process="selectmainmenu.txt" "size=2"
using s_type = "RPTM"
The launchpad links to a set of other scripts referenced in the Main script above. Each subsidiary script is referenced by a process marker as in the example below:
pushbutton (6,2) "@3E@Procurement Menu " process="selectmainmenu.txt" "size=2"
using s_type = "PROM"
In the above example, the pushbutton is linked to a process, which in turn calls the 'selectmainmenu' script file. This script changes the value of the variable 'V[G_SCREEN]' from 'MAIN' to 'PROM'. This change is accomplished by passing a local variable to the script via the 'using' and 'parameter' commands as shown below:
Parameter s_type
set V[G_SCREEN] "&U[s_type]"
return
So the preceding example would set the screen to be as defined in the 'Screen_PROM.txt' script file. This screen is as follows:
title "Procurement Main Menu"
box (0,1) (17,116) "Procurement Main Menu"
pushbutton (2,3) "@0Y@Create Purchase Requisition " "/nme51n" "size=2"
pushbutton (4,3) "@0Z\QChange Purchase Requisition@Change Purchase Requisition " "/nme52n" "size=2"
pushbutton (6,3) "@10\QDisplay Purchase Requisition@Display Purchase Requisition " "/nme53n" "size=2"
pushbutton (2,64) "@EQ\QList of Purchase Requisition@List of Purchase Requisition " "/nme5a" "size=2"
pushbutton (4,64) "@AA\QConvert Purchase Requisition to Purchase Order@Convert Purchase Requisition --> Purchase Order" "/nme58" "size=2"
box (18,1) (28,116) "Procurement Reporting"
comment (23,7) "Procurement Reports - Future Use" "size=100"
pushbutton (toolbar) "@2M\QBack To Main Menu@Back To Main Menu" process="selectmainmenu.txt"
using s_type = "MAIN"
These scripts are for the various pushbuttons included in the launchpad. By using these redirects, users can create their own launchpads to simplify the user experience and customize business processes as needed.
To use these files, it is necessary to place them in a folder and direct GuiXT to use them by means of the Directory parameter in the Guixt.ini configuration file. The complete list of files used in the example is as follows:
- SAPLSMTR_NAVIGATION.E0100.txt
- SAPLSMTR_NAVIGATION.E0101.txt
- Screen_Main.txt
- Screen_PROM.txt
- selectmainmenu.txt
