SAP ABAP Data Element AD_NAMFORM (Name format key)
Hierarchy
☛ SAP_BASIS (Software Component) SAP Basis Component
   ⤷ BC-SRV-ADR (Application Component) Address Management/Business Address
     ⤷ SZAD (Package) SAP Technology - Business Services: Address Management
Basic Data
Data Element AD_NAMFORM
Short Description Name format key  
Data Type
Category of Dictionary Type D   Domain
Type of Object Referenced     No Information
Domain / Name of Reference Type AD_NAMFORM    
Data Type CHAR   Character String 
Length 2    
Decimal Places 0    
Output Length 2    
Value Table T005N    
Further Characteristics
Search Help: Name    
Search Help: Parameters    
Parameter ID   
Default Component name    
Change document    
No Input History    
Basic direction is set to LTR    
No BIDI Filtering    
Field Label
  Length  Field Label  
Short 10 Format 
Medium 15 Name format 
Long 20 Format rule 
Heading 6 Format 
Documentation

Definition

Key for name output format.

The name format specifies the sequence in which name components are assembled to present the name of a person in a complete form.

Use

The name components of natural persons are stored in several separate fields.

You can control how the name is formatted from the components according to country-specific rules. If you do not specify any rules, the system uses a standard setting.

A name formatting rule is identified by a country key and a format key.
A name format can contain the following table ADRP fields, although some fields may not be available in some application contexts:

  • TITLE (form of address)
  • NAME_FIRST (first name)
  • NAME_LAST (last name)
  • NAME2 (birth name)
  • NICKNAME (nickname)
  • INITIALS ("middle initial" or initials)
  • TITLE_ACA1 (academic title)
  • TITLE_ACA2 (second academic title)
  • TITLE_SPPL (name affix, such as title of nobility)
  • PREFIX1 (name prefix)
  • PREFIX2 (2nd name prefix)

The implementation guide chapter Maintain name formatting rules contains an example and guidelines for creating name formats (transaction SA13).

If no format rule is specified, a global standard setting comprising academic title, first name, middle initial, prefix and last name is used.
If only a country but no format is specified, the standard format for this country is used if it exists in the country settings (transaction OY01 or OY07):
Country definition in ERP systems
Country definition in other mySAP systems

Example

The name composition format US 01 is defined as follows:

US 01 1 TITLE (form of address)
US 01 2 NAME_FIRST (first name)
US 01 3 PREFIX1 (name preposition)
US 01 4 NAME_LAST (last name)

The following fields are used for a business partner:

Form of address    Mr   

First name    Rene   

Prefix    van de   

Last name    Kerkhoff   

Country for name format    US   

Format for name    01   

Using the rule US 01, two formats are derived from these fields:

With form of address (TITLE): Mr Rene van de Kerkhoff
(The text for the form of address is language-dependent in this case; the language depends on the context)

Without form of address: Rene van de Kerkhoff
(language independent)

The version without form of address is stored redundantly by the Business Address Services.

The version without the form of address is used for name formatting for print. In addition, the form of address is issued according to country-dependent criteria in the address format, regardless of whether or where the form of address is entered in the name format rule.

The format with form of address defined here, is intended for list output.

Recommendation

In addition, enter the format that is the default format for your country in the field "Default Name Format" in the country settings.

When you maintain master data, the country for the name format is not taken from the address because an SAP business partner, for example, can have more than one address or even none at all.

Instead, you have to enter the country in the field "Country for Name Format" in the name fields of the person.

We recommend that you assign the users the user parameter NAMEFORMAT_COUNTRY. If this parameter is filled in the user master data, the corresponding country is then proposed in the field "Country for Name Format" when you create personal data (for SAP business partners, consumers in the customer master record, users, and so on).

History
Last changed by/on SAP  20110908 
SAP Release Created in