B

Appendix :B Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Appendix :C Contents

In this chapter you will learn:

What is the Extended

Export of Lists (XXL)

What is the XXL List

Viewer

How to use XXL to export

an R/3 list to Microsoft
Excel

Overview................................................................................................................ B2
XXL Support in the R/3 System............................................................................B3
The XXL List Viewer.............................................................................................. B4
Where to Learn More............................................................................................ B7

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Appendix B: Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Where to Learn More

Overview
Extended Export of Lists (XXL) helps achieve a tighter integration between the
R/3 System and PC applications. XXL is an R/3 component that uses Microsoft
Excel to display and manipulate list objects from R/3 applications.
The XXL has two primary goals:
To provide users with Microsoft Excel functionality that can be used with
R/3 lists, directly from inside the R/3 environment.
To recognize the transferred data as SAP objects in order to protect it from
consistency breaches.
List objects are files created by R/3 applications and transferred to XXL. List
objects contain the data to be listed, information on the list structure, and
characteristics of the data (meta information).
The term list object is used here because the R/3 System not only transfers
the list data to XXL, but also the corresponding meta information: information
on the list structure, the characteristics of the list data, and explanatory texts.
For more information on the XXL application programming interface (API), see
the R/3 Systems online help documentation.
The transferred meta information allows XXL to provide adequate presentation of
the list object on the spreadsheet. XXL activates special macros after the
transferred data has been loaded in the spreadsheet program, or processes the
transferred data using OLE Automation.
List Object

R/3
R/3
System
System

List structure
List data characteristics
Explanatory texts

XXL
XXL

Microsoft Excel

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Appendix B: Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Where to Learn More

Functional Areas
XXL has two main tasks:
Defining an API (Application Programming Interface) in the form of a
function module, which allows ABAP programs to export list objects to the
user's PC.
Activating a presentation service in Microsoft Excel (or the spreadsheet
program chosen by the user) after the list object has been transferred.
SAP offers the following two Excel-based presentation services:
XXL List Viewer controls Microsoft Excel using local macros. For more
information on the XXL List Viewer, refer to page 4.
OLE Automation-based option to display exported data in Microsoft Excel
in the form of Pivot tables, oras of Release 4.0as a standard list.
Users can also write their own macros to process list objects in Microsoft Excel
and call them from XXL after the list objects have been exported.
Lotus Development Corporation offers a separate XXL presentation service
(Lotus Connection ) for its Lotus SmartSuite family of products, primarily
supporting the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet application. R/3 data can also be
transferred to other members of the SmartSuite family of products. For
example, you can convert the representation of the exported list object into
the WK1 format and store it in Lotus Notes. If Lotus 1-2-3 is the presentation
medium, the macros provide special XXL functionality, analogous to the XXL
List Viewer.
Note that the Lotus Connection is also shipped with the standard SAPgui
presentation software.
While the OLE-Automation- and user-macro-based options are immediately
available with the standard SAPgui installation, both the Lotus Connection and
the XXL List Viewer require the Desktop Components package to be installed
along with the SAPgui component. For more information on Lotus solutions,
check out http://www.lotus.com/home.nsf/tabs/industryerp on the web.
The XXL List Viewer can be used with both Excel 5.0 and Excel 4.0. If Excel 5.0 is
used, the XXL List Viewer is recommended only if the user is interested in a
preconfigured functionality (managing several views, protections against
accidental deletions, graphics with automatic legends, etc.), otherwise use OLE.
The presentation options of the XXL List Viewer are also available in the OLE
variant (presenting list objects as pivot tables) and have much better
performance.

XXL Support in the R/3 System

Currently, the following applications are able to transfer data using XXL:
Executive Information System

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Appendix B: Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Where to Learn More

Logistics Information System

ABAP Query

Financial Accounting (Line item display in customer, vendor, and G/L

accounts)
Since the XXL function module (see The API to XXL in ABAP in the online help
documentation) can be called from ABAP programs developed by the customer,
XXL can also be used in user-defined applications. For more information, refer to
the online documentation on XXL.

The XXL List Viewer

The XXL List Viewer is a set of Excel 4.0 macros that turn Microsoft Excel into a
specialized tool for presenting XXL list objects. XXL adds specific functions to
Excel's standard functionality and makes these functions available in a
customized menu bar and toolbar. This XXL-specific configuration is intended to
restrict the functionality of Excel to keep users from corrupting the consistency
of the list object. This means that, for example, certain delete operations are
inactive when Excel is running in the XXL environment.
Below is an overview of XXL features for manipulating and displaying list objects.
Sort and restructure data

Sort columns and rows by hierarchical key terms

Sort columns, insert new columns

Aggregate groups of rows into sums, averages

Selectively reconstruct detailed rows from aggregated rows

Sort lines/line groups by selectable criteria

Administer objects and views

Save the current table status or layout as a user view of the list
object

Administer user views and derived objects

Convert objects or views to original Excel tables

Graphical data presentation

Create graphics using the Excel Chart Wizard

Label graphics automatically with key values from the list object or
with user-defined texts

Compile and administer slide shows

XXL can save and administer the list objects on the presentation computer. If a
saved list object is subsequently imported into XXL, all the protection
mechanisms and special functions are present. It is also possible to export an
XXL list object to the standard Excel environment. When you export to Excels
standard environment, the list object is saved without all its meta information so
that the current list object status can be processed further using the unrestricted
Excel functionality.

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Appendix B: Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Where to Learn More

The XXL List Viewer can also be started locally by using the SAP_INT.XLM
macro in Microsoft Excel. After the SAPgui has been installed, the macro is
stored in the XXL installation directory.

Guided Tour

In this example, you will learn to

use XXL to export a G/L line items
report to Microsoft Excel.

From the SAP main menu, choose

Accounting Financial
accounting General ledger, then
Account Display line items.
1. In G/L account, enter 800000,
the name of the desired G/L
account.

1
2
3

2. In Company code, enter 3000.

3. Select Open items.
4. Choose Enter.

The report list displays the open

5
items for the chosen G/L account in
Company code 3000.
5. To transfer the report list to
Excel, choose Line items
Transfer to Excel.

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Appendix B: Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Where to Learn More

How your report is exported to Excel depends on the option you select on the Export list
object to XXL window. The graphics shown below demonstrate how the transferred list are
displayed in Excel.
XXL Option Chosen in the R/3 System

Resulting Report Display in Microsoft Excel

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Appendix B: Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Where to Learn More

XXL Option Chosen in the R/3 System

Resulting Report Display in Microsoft Excel

XXL Menubar

XXL Toolbar

The XXL List Viewer is launched

when you select the Excel SAP
macros option.
The XXL toolbar and menubar
appear in the XXL List Viewer.

It is important to note that the

option to use of the Excel SAP
macros is not advised. Although
currently available, future releases
of the R/3 System are expected to
include only limited support for the
XXL List Viewer.

Where to Learn More

For more information on XXL, refer to the R/3 Library (online documentation).
In the HTML help documentation, go to:
R/3 System Library BC-Basis Components ABAP Runtime Environment
BCC XXL List Export

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Appendix B: Extended Export of Lists (XXL)

Where to Learn More

Reporting Made Easy