ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP - Reference → User Dialogs → Screens
User Interface
For the execution of user dialogs, input and output services are required that can be accessed through a user interface (User Interface, UI). A user interface is used for the interaction between a user and a program. If parts of the user interface are displayed in the window on the screen, this is a graphical user interface (Graphical User Interface, GUI). The SAP-specific implementation for execution of dialog-based applications with screens is the SAP GUI, which is installed as a software component of an AS ABAP on the presentation servers of the presentation layer. It contains all the control elements that are required for execution of dialogs between the user and the program. The operating elements of the SAP GUI are represented schematically in the following diagram:
On the screen, the SAP GUI presents the screen of a dynpro (dynamic program) in a window. The screen can contain screen elements for displaying contents or for receiving user actions. The screen and its screen elements are processed using the Layout Editor belonging to the Screen Painter tool. Each screen element has properties that are statically predefined in the Screen Painter and, in part, can be modified dynamically in the ABAP program.
As a further part of the graphical user interface, each standard window contains a menu bar, a standard
toolbar, and an application toolbar. Windows that are displayed as a modal dialog box contain only an
application toolbar. The bars are independent components of the ABAP program and are grouped together
in a GUI status. Also, they are assigned to a screen by setting the GUI status. In addition to the graphical
elements, the function keys are part of the user interface. They are defined as an independent component
of the ABAP program and therefore part of a GUI status. The components of the GUI status and the GUI
status itself are processed using the Menu Painter tool. For the most part, the control elements presented
by the user interface are linked with the function codes, which can be evaluated in the ABAP program. The description of the current GUI status can be found in the system field sy-pfkey.
A SAP GUIs window is fully complete when it has the title bar and the status bar. The title bar, which
is also edited using the Menu Painter, contains the heading of the window. The status bar displays information that can be transmitted, among other things, during the execution of an ABAP program using the
MESSAGE statement. In addition, it contains system information that can be displayed or hidden through an icon on the right-hand side of the bar.
Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54