SAP Note 19104 - Information on the SAPscript layout set debugger

Symptom:

This note explains how to use the SAPscript layout set debugger.

Cause and prerequisites

The layout set debugger can be used to narrow down problems with SAPscript print programs and layout sets when printing in the applications. It allows to interactively go through a print program and provides information on

• the called SAPscript function modules (OPEN_FORM, START_FORM, WRITE_FORM, CONTROL_FORM, END_FORM, CLOSE_FORM, usw.)

• EXCEPTIONS, that is, error situations when you call the SAPscript function modules

• the current symbol values (that is, variables) in SAPscript

• warning messages that occur during the processing

• INCLUDE texts that are possibly not found

The layout set debugger can only be used online, but not when printing in the background or during the update. In this case, you should try to start the print program in question online.

Solution

You can activate the layout set debugger (for the user in question) via the layout set maintenance transaction SE71: Menu "Utilities -> Activate debugger". Note: The debugger is deactivated via the menu "Debugger -> Exit".
If the user now starts a SAPscript print program online, a dialog box is displayed first in which you can set the breakpoints of the debugger. Default breakpoints of the debugger are

• warning messages within the layout set processing

• INCLUDE commands

• all SAPscript function modules

Instead of the interactive debugger, you can create a trace output (some kind of layout set processing log) in this dialog box. It is displayed in a list at the end of the print processing. In this case, you do not branch to the interactive debugger.
Several information is displayed within the interactive debugger, for example,

• the current layout set

• the current layout set language

• the event: for example, the name of the called SAPscript function module

• the name of the current layout set page

• the name of the current layout set window

Similar to the ABAP/4 debugger, the followng options are available in the debugger to control the processing:
CONTINUE - continue to the next breakpoint
EXECUTE - execute the current function module, stop at the start of the next function module
SINGLE STEP - execute processing within the current function module in single steps
EXIT DEBUGGER - deactivate the debugger and continue with the normal layout set processing
You can display symbol values (that is, variables) in SAPscript by entering the symbol name in an input line on the debugger screen. Example: To display the current value of symbol &SY-UNAME&, you have to enter SY-UNAME there.
With the layout set debugger you can now analyze error situations that were caused by incorrect or failed SAPscript function module calls, or situations in which no text is displayed because INCLUDE modules were called with an incorrect name or incorrect language key.