The Fastest Method To Create ALV ABAP (with Sample ABAP Code)

Create ALV ABAP is very comment requirment for an ABAP developer.
This post will give the fastest way and the most easy way to create and display ALV in ABAP.

Create ALV in ABAP

The easiest way to create and display ALV in ABAP is to used the class??CL_SALV_TABLE.
This class CL_SALV_TABLE offers a very powerful method to create AVL ABAP.

For example,

To initialize the ALV, use the CL_SALV_TABLE=>FACTORY method.
- no need anymore to build manually your FIELDCALATOG
- or no need to create a SAP DDIC table/structure to retrieve the FIELDCATALOG
- it is done by passing juste an internal table.
To display, just call the method CL_SALV_TABLE=>DISPLAY
- no need to create a new screen
- display method will use the current screen

Create ALV ABAP Sample code

Here a sample code to display an ABAP internal in ALV with:

A basic layout setting including ABAP ALV title
Optimized Columns size
Renaming of Columns text
and a tool bar

First, let start with all the ABAP Declaration to make

"-----------------------------------------------------------"
  " Data declaration for ABAP ALV
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  DATA lo_alv               TYPE REF TO cl_salv_table.
  DATA lex_message          TYPE REF TO cx_salv_msg.
  DATA lo_layout_settings   TYPE REF TO cl_salv_layout.
  DATA lo_layout_key        TYPE        salv_s_layout_key.
  DATA lo_columns           TYPE REF TO cl_salv_columns_table.
  DATA lo_column            TYPE REF TO cl_salv_column.
  DATA lex_not_found        TYPE REF TO cx_salv_not_found.
  DATA lo_functions         TYPE REF TO cl_salv_functions_list.
  DATA lo_display_settings  TYPE REF TO cl_salv_display_settings.

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

" Data declaration for ABAP ALV

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

DATA lo_alv TYPE REF TO cl_salv_table.

DATA lex_message TYPE REF TO cx_salv_msg.

DATA lo_layout_settings TYPE REF TO cl_salv_layout.

DATA lo_layout_key TYPE salv_s_layout_key.

DATA lo_columns TYPE REF TO cl_salv_columns_table.

DATA lo_column TYPE REF TO cl_salv_column.

DATA lex_not_found TYPE REF TO cx_salv_not_found.

DATA lo_functions TYPE REF TO cl_salv_functions_list.

DATA lo_display_settings TYPE REF TO cl_salv_display_settings.

Second, the ABAP Code to create and display an ALV the fast way.

  " Initialize the ALV using the CL_SALV_TABLE=>factory
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  TRY.
      cl_salv_table=>factory(
        IMPORTING
          r_salv_table = lo_alv
        CHANGING
          t_table      = lt_itab ).
      "@ the ABAP Internal Table to display in ALV with ABAP
      "@ LT_ITAB to be defined and filled of course
    CATCH cx_salv_msg INTO lex_message.
      " error handling
  ENDTRY.

  " Set the ALV Layouts
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  lo_layout_settings   = lo_alv->get_layout( ).
  lo_layout_key-report = sy-repid.
  lo_layout_settings->set_key( lo_layout_key ).
  lo_layout_settings->set_save_restriction( if_salv_c_layout=>restrict_none ).

  " set the ALV Toolbars
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  lo_functions = lo_alv->get_functions( ).
  lo_functions->set_all( ).

  " Optimize ALV Columns size
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  lo_columns = lo_alv->get_columns( ).
  lo_columns->set_optimize( ).

  " Set Zebra Lines display
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  lo_display_settings = lo_alv->get_display_settings( ).
  lo_display_settings->set_striped_pattern( if_salv_c_bool_sap=>true ).

  " Set ALV Header title
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  lo_display_settings->set_list_header( 'Your ALV Title' ).

  " Hide ALV Columns from Display.
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  TRY.
      lo_column = lo_columns->get_column( 'NAME2' ).
      lo_column->set_visible( if_salv_c_bool_sap=>false ).
    CATCH cx_salv_not_found INTO lex_not_found.
      " write some error handling
  ENDTRY.


  " Change ALV Columns Name ( Short, medium and Long text)
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  TRY.
      lo_column = lo_columns->get_column( 'XREF1' ).
      lo_column->set_short_text( 'Vendor' ).
      lo_column->set_medium_text( 'Vendor' ).
      lo_column->set_long_text( 'Vendor Reference' ).
    CATCH cx_salv_not_found INTO lex_not_found.
      " write some error handling
  ENDTRY.

  " Display the ALV in ABAP in the whole main screen
  "-----------------------------------------------------------"
  lo_alv->display( ).

" Initialize the ALV using the CL_SALV_TABLE=>factory

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

TRY.

cl_salv_table=>factory(

IMPORTING

r_salv_table = lo_alv

CHANGING

t_table = lt_itab ).

"@ the ABAP Internal Table to display in ALV with ABAP

"@ LT_ITAB to be defined and filled of course

CATCH cx_salv_msg INTO lex_message.

" error handling

ENDTRY.

" Set the ALV Layouts

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

lo_layout_settings = lo_alv->get_layout( ).

lo_layout_key-report = sy-repid.

lo_layout_settings->set_key( lo_layout_key ).

lo_layout_settings->set_save_restriction( if_salv_c_layout=>restrict_none ).

" set the ALV Toolbars

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

lo_functions = lo_alv->get_functions( ).

lo_functions->set_all( ).

" Optimize ALV Columns size

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

lo_columns = lo_alv->get_columns( ).

lo_columns->set_optimize( ).

" Set Zebra Lines display

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

lo_display_settings = lo_alv->get_display_settings( ).

lo_display_settings->set_striped_pattern( if_salv_c_bool_sap=>true ).

" Set ALV Header title

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

lo_display_settings->set_list_header( 'Your ALV Title' ).

" Hide ALV Columns from Display.

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

TRY.

lo_column = lo_columns->get_column( 'NAME2' ).

lo_column->set_visible( if_salv_c_bool_sap=>false ).

CATCH cx_salv_not_found INTO lex_not_found.

" write some error handling

ENDTRY.

" Change ALV Columns Name ( Short, medium and Long text)

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

TRY.

lo_column = lo_columns->get_column( 'XREF1' ).

lo_column->set_short_text( 'Vendor' ).

lo_column->set_medium_text( 'Vendor' ).

lo_column->set_long_text( 'Vendor Reference' ).

CATCH cx_salv_not_found INTO lex_not_found.

" write some error handling

ENDTRY.

" Display the ALV in ABAP in the whole main screen

"-----------------------------------------------------------"

lo_alv->display( ).

Here it is !

You can go further and find all the detail about CL_SALV_TABLE and ALV in ABAP in this excellent post.

The fastest method to create ALV ABAP (with Sample ABAP Code)

Create ALV in ABAP

Create ALV ABAP Sample code