Table
of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Template InfoObject
3. Reference InfoObject
4. Related Content
1. Introduction
You can create an InfoObject from the scratch
for your project requirement or can create it as a reference or template of
existing InfoObject.All the technical properties like length, data type etc and
master data attributes, compounding attributes etc are copied from the existing
InfoObject. Which option you should select depends on your requirement. Below
we will see how our newly created InfoObject behaves when created using
template or reference characteristic.
2. Template InfoObject
When you are creating your InfoObject taking
template of existing InfoObject then all the master data attributes,
compounding attributes and technical properties are copied to new InfoObject.
You can edit this new InfoObject. For example, you can change the attributes,
data type, length etc. It will have its own master data table. Transformation
can be created and data load and maintain of master data is possible for this
new InfoObject.
When to use: When
you are going to create an InfoObject whose most of the master data attributes
and compounding attributes are same as some existing InfoObject. It will reduce
your development effort.
3. Reference InfoObject
When an info-object uses any existing
info-object as the reference it would not just have its technical properties
but would use the data of the reference characteristic. In other words, you
cannot change the length, data type, master data attributes, componding
attributes etc of new characteristic that has been created using the reference
of existing InfoObject and it will have
the same master data table (P, X, Q, Y etc) and text table.
Basic InfoObject
Reference Characteristic
Here InfoObject ZTEST_R has been created taking the reference of InfoObject ZTEST_M. Here we can see that InfoObject ZTEST_R do not have its own master data like /BIC/PZTEST_R, /BIC/TZTEST_R etc but its master data is same as master data of InfoObject ZTEST_M. e.g. /BIC/PZTEST_M, /BIC/TZTEST_M etc.
Below are some important points that we should
know.
Point 1.
You cannot load the data into reference characteristic
Explanation:-
Reference characteristic will have the same master data attributes and
compounding attributes, however you cannot load the data because system will
not allow you to create the transformation for this infoobject.
Point 2. When
you insert this characteristic as InfoProvider, system gives you message that
it is not used as data target.
System Message
Point 3.You
cannot maintain master data for this reference InfoObject and system will
disable this option for reference characteristic. If you insert reference
characteristic as Infoprovider and try to maintain master data, system will
give you error message.
Point 4.You
cannot change the master data attributes and compounding attributes of
reference characteristic.
Point 5. In
reference characteristic we only have display attributes so all the nav
attributes of basic characteristic becomes display attribute in Reference
characteristic. If you are using reference characteristic in InfoCube or in any
other InfoProvider then attributes of reference characteristic will not
be available for drill-down in reports.