SAP ABAP Data Element COMT_PRIDLEXI (Save Product IDs Lexicographically)
Hierarchy
☛ SAP_ABA (Software Component) Cross-Application Component
   ⤷ AP-MD-PRO (Application Component) Central Part of Product Master
     ⤷ COM_PRODUCT_CUST (Package) Product Master Customizing - General
Basic Data
Data Element COMT_PRIDLEXI
Short Description Save Product IDs Lexicographically  
Data Type
Category of Dictionary Type D   Domain
Type of Object Referenced     No Information
Domain / Name of Reference Type XFELD    
Data Type CHAR   Character String 
Length 1    
Decimal Places 0    
Output Length 1    
Value Table      
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 Lexicogr. 
Medium 15 Saved Lexicogr. 
Long 30 Save Lexicographically 
Heading 3 Lex 
Documentation

Definition

Defines the way numeric product IDs are stored in the database.

Use

Caution
This indicator can only be set or cancelled if numeric product IDs have not already been used in the system because they would no longer be interpretable.

  • Indicator set

    Numeric product IDs are stored left-justified as entered.

    Example
    Defined length:            8 characters
    Assigned ID:            123
    Stored ID:                123

    With lexicographical storage, the product IDs 123 and 0123 refer to different products.

  • Indicator not set

    Numeric product IDs are padded with leading zeros up to 40 characters and stored right-justified (example 1). Product IDs containing at least one nonnumeric character are stored left-justified as entered (example 2). Storage of the product ID entered is not affected by the length defined.

    Example 1
    Defined length:            8 characters
    Assigned ID:            123
    Stored ID:                0000000000000000000000000000000000000123

    With non-lexicographical storage, the product IDs 123 and 0123 refer to the same product, that is, the leading zeros are meaningless. Both product numbers are stored in the database as 0000000000000000000000000000000000000123 and are thus identical.

    Example 2

    Defined length:            8 characters

    Assigned ID:            1A3

    Stored ID:                1A3

Procedure

Examples

Dependencies

  • Sorting

    The sequence in lists and tables sorted by product ID depends on the storage form chosen.

    Example of lexicographical storage
    123 < 1A3 < 2 < 234

    Example of non-lexicographical storage (assuming an ASCII character set)
    2 < 123 < 234 < 1A3

  • Selection

    The result of generic selections or of from-to selections depends on the storage form chosen. For example, with non-lexicographical storage, a selection with 5* will not find the product ID 50 because the product ID is stored in the database as 0...050.

  • Interfaces (for example, BAPIs)

    Non-lexicographical storage can be problematic with regard to cross-system interfaces in particular. The product ID is normally transferred in the database format, but problems can occur if the sending system and receiving system have different storage forms.

  • Number assignment

    If you choose non-lexicographical storage, solely numeric product IDs must not contain more than 20 characters when products are created. This is because the lower limit and upper limit of number range intervals is restricted to 20 characters.

    This restriction does not apply to lexicographical storage because the product ID is stored left-justified as entered and can be checked from left to right against the number range interval.

    Example

Lower limit    10000000000000000000

Upper limit    19999999999999999999

Product ID to be checked    111111111111111111111111111111

With non-lexicographical storage, the product ID is not within the number range interval because it is larger than the upper limit.

With lexicographical storage, the product ID is within the number range interval because the product ID is not interpreted as a number, but as a character (see also under Sorting).

Specifics in CRM

If data is exchanged with ERP systems in which materials or products are stored lexicographically, also choose lexicographical storage in the CRM/EBP system. The assignment between the product ID in the ERP system and the product ID in the CRM/EBP system may not otherwise be unique. As a result, it may not be possible for all materials or products in the ERP system to be mapped in the CRM/EBP system, or for the material number to be derived from the product ID in the CRM/EBP system.

Example
Material numbers are stored lexicographically in the ERP system, but product IDs are stored non-lexicographically in the CRM/EBP system. As a result, the material numbers 0000012345 and 12345 from the ERP system are both interpreted in the CRM/EBP system as the product ID 12345.

History
Last changed by/on SAP  20040312 
SAP Release Created in