CL_GUI_ALV_GRID

The editable ALV grid — use this when you need users to change values inline; use CL_SALV_TABLE for read-only display.

Purpose

CL_GUI_ALV_GRID is the older but still essential ALV class for scenarios requiring editable cells. Unlike CL_SALV_TABLE, it requires a custom container on a screen (module pool) and cannot be called from a simple report with a single line. In return it supports:

• Editable cells with validation
• Cell-level colours and icons
• Row selection with callbacks
• Totals rows
• Custom toolbar buttons

A screen and container are required

CL_GUI_ALV_GRID cannot display anything without a CL_GUI_CUSTOM_CONTAINER placed on a screen via the Screen Painter (SE51). You must create a module pool program with at least one screen (e.g. screen 100) that has a custom control area named CC_ALV. See the example below.

Minimum working example

How to set it up in SE80:

1. Create a module pool program (e.g. ZSALV_GRID_DEMO, type M)
2. Create screen 100 via the Screen Painter (double-click on 100 in the navigation tree)
3. In the screen layout, insert a Custom Control element named CC_ALV (fills the screen)
4. Create a PBO module pbo_100 and PAI module pai_100
5. Paste the code below into the respective includes

Global data (top include):

DATA: go_container TYPE REF TO cl_gui_custom_container,
      go_alv       TYPE REF TO cl_gui_alv_grid,
      gt_data      TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF sflight.

Call screen from START-OF-SELECTION:

START-OF-SELECTION.
  CALL SCREEN 100.

PBO module (screen 100 — Process Before Output):

You must create the PF-status manually — use a Z/Y name

SET PF-STATUS 'ZMAIN' references a local GUI status in your module pool. Use a Z or Y prefix for your status name (e.g. ZMAIN). The easiest way to create it is to copy the SAP standard status: open SE41, enter program SAPLSALV and status STANDARD, then Status → Copy and set your program and ZMAIN as the target. If SAPLSALV is not available in your system, try SAPLKKBL instead. Without a PF-status the screen opens with no function keys.

The PF-status only serves one purpose here: providing the navigation keys &F03 (Back), &F15 (Exit), &F12 (Cancel) so the user can close the screen. Custom ALV actions do not go through the PF-status — they use the ON_TOOLBAR and ON_USER_COMMAND events instead (see below).

MODULE pbo_100 OUTPUT.
  SET PF-STATUS 'ZMAIN'.
  SET TITLEBAR  'TITLE'.

  IF go_container IS INITIAL.
    " Create container — 'CC_ALV' must match the custom control name in Screen Painter
    CREATE OBJECT go_container
      EXPORTING container_name = 'CC_ALV'.

    " Create ALV grid inside the container
    CREATE OBJECT go_alv
      EXPORTING i_parent = go_container.

    " Load data
    SELECT * FROM sflight INTO TABLE @gt_data UP TO 50 ROWS.

    " Build field catalog automatically from DDIC structure
    DATA lt_fcat TYPE lvc_t_fcat.
    CALL FUNCTION 'LVC_FIELDCATALOG_MERGE'
      EXPORTING
        i_structure_name = 'SFLIGHT'
      CHANGING
        ct_fieldcat      = lt_fcat.

    " Display the grid
    go_alv->set_table_for_first_display(
      EXPORTING
        i_structure_name = 'SFLIGHT'
      CHANGING
        it_outtab        = gt_data ).
  ELSE.
    " Refresh after data change
    go_alv->refresh_table_display( ).
  ENDIF.
ENDMODULE.

PAI module (screen 100 — Process After Input):

MODULE pai_100 INPUT.
  CASE sy-ucomm.
    WHEN '&F03' OR '&F15' OR '&F12'.   " Back / Exit / Cancel
      LEAVE TO SCREEN 0.
  ENDCASE.
ENDMODULE.

Adding a Save button

The standard status copied from SAPLSALV does not include a Save function. To add one, open your status in SE41, add a new function code (e.g. SAVE) to a toolbar button or menu entry, then handle it in your PAI module:

WHEN 'SAVE'.
  MODIFY sflight FROM TABLE gt_data.
  COMMIT WORK.
  MESSAGE 'Saved' TYPE 'S'.

Make cells editable

To allow users to edit specific columns, set edit = abap_true on the relevant field catalog entry and pass the catalog via it_fieldcatalog. You cannot use i_structure_name at the same time — replace the set_table_for_first_display call in your PBO with this version:

  IF go_container IS INITIAL.
    CREATE OBJECT go_container
      EXPORTING container_name = 'CC_ALV'.

    CREATE OBJECT go_alv
      EXPORTING i_parent = go_container.

    SELECT * FROM sflight INTO TABLE @gt_data UP TO 50 ROWS.

    DATA lt_fcat TYPE lvc_t_fcat.
    CALL FUNCTION 'LVC_FIELDCATALOG_MERGE'
      EXPORTING
        i_structure_name = 'SFLIGHT'
      CHANGING
        ct_fieldcat      = lt_fcat.

    " Make SEATSOCC editable
    LOOP AT lt_fcat ASSIGNING FIELD-SYMBOL(<ls_fcat>) WHERE fieldname = 'SEATSOCC'.
      <ls_fcat>-edit = abap_true.
    ENDLOOP.

    " Pass it_fieldcatalog explicitly — do NOT use i_structure_name when passing a field catalog
    go_alv->set_table_for_first_display(
      CHANGING
        it_fieldcatalog = lt_fcat
        it_outtab       = gt_data ).
  ELSE.
    go_alv->refresh_table_display( ).
  ENDIF.

Get selected rows with a custom toolbar button

Custom buttons added to the PF-status appear in the screen application toolbar but are hidden by the ALV grid's own toolbar that renders inside the container. To add a button that actually appears in the ALV toolbar you must register the ON_TOOLBAR and ON_USER_COMMAND events.

Step 1 — Add the event handler class to the global data section of your module pool:

DATA: go_container TYPE REF TO cl_gui_custom_container,
      go_alv       TYPE REF TO cl_gui_alv_grid,
      gt_data      TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF sflight.

CLASS lcl_events DEFINITION.
  PUBLIC SECTION.
    METHODS:
      on_toolbar
        FOR EVENT toolbar OF cl_gui_alv_grid
        IMPORTING e_object e_interactive,
      on_user_command
        FOR EVENT user_command OF cl_gui_alv_grid
        IMPORTING e_ucomm.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS lcl_events IMPLEMENTATION.

  METHOD on_toolbar.
    DATA ls_button TYPE stb_button.
    ls_button-function  = 'ZSHOW'.
    ls_button-icon      = icon_display.
    ls_button-text      = 'Show Selected'.
    ls_button-butn_type = 0.   " normal button
    APPEND ls_button TO e_object->mt_toolbar.
  ENDMETHOD.

  METHOD on_user_command.
    DATA lt_selected TYPE lvc_t_row.
    DATA lv_info     TYPE string.
    DATA ls_row      TYPE sflight.

    CASE e_ucomm.
      WHEN 'ZSHOW'.
        go_alv->get_selected_rows( IMPORTING et_index_rows = lt_selected ).

        IF lt_selected IS INITIAL.
          MESSAGE 'No rows selected — click a row first' TYPE 'S' DISPLAY LIKE 'W'.
        ELSE.
          LOOP AT lt_selected INTO DATA(ls_sel).
            READ TABLE gt_data INTO ls_row INDEX ls_sel-index.
            IF sy-subrc = 0.
              lv_info = lv_info &&
                |Row { ls_sel-index }: { ls_row-carrid } / { ls_row-connid } / Price: { ls_row-price }| &&
                cl_abap_char_utilities=>newline.
            ENDIF.
          ENDLOOP.
          MESSAGE lv_info TYPE 'I'.
        ENDIF.
    ENDCASE.
  ENDMETHOD.

ENDCLASS.

Step 2 — Register the event handlers in your PBO after creating go_alv:

  IF go_container IS INITIAL.
    CREATE OBJECT go_container EXPORTING container_name = 'CC_ALV'.
    CREATE OBJECT go_alv      EXPORTING i_parent = go_container.

    " Register events before set_table_for_first_display
    DATA lo_events TYPE REF TO lcl_events.
    lo_events = NEW lcl_events( ).
    SET HANDLER lo_events->on_toolbar      FOR go_alv.
    SET HANDLER lo_events->on_user_command FOR go_alv.

    SELECT * FROM sflight INTO TABLE @gt_data UP TO 50 ROWS.

    go_alv->set_table_for_first_display(
      EXPORTING i_structure_name = 'SFLIGHT'
      CHANGING  it_outtab        = gt_data ).
  ELSE.
    go_alv->refresh_table_display( ).
  ENDIF.

Select one or more rows in the grid using the row selector on the left, then click Show Selected in the ALV toolbar. An info popup lists each selected row with its carrier, connection, and price.

Add row colouring

Row colouring requires three things: a colour field in your data type, a hidden field catalog entry for it, and info_fname set in the layout. Because you need a custom type and a manual field catalog, this replaces the simple i_structure_name approach from the minimum example.

Color code format — the colour field is TYPE c LENGTH 4, value format CXYZ:

Position	Meaning
C	literal prefix
X	color number (1–7)
Y	intensified: 0 = normal, 1 = bold
Z	inverse: 0 = normal, 1 = inverse

Common values: 'C500' = green, 'C600' = red, 'C300' = yellow, 'C100' = blue.

Step 1 — Update the global data section to use a custom type:

TYPES: BEGIN OF ty_flight,
         carrid   TYPE sflight-carrid,
         connid   TYPE sflight-connid,
         price    TYPE sflight-price,
         currency TYPE sflight-currency,
         rowcolor TYPE c LENGTH 4,
       END OF ty_flight.

DATA: go_container TYPE REF TO cl_gui_custom_container,
      go_alv       TYPE REF TO cl_gui_alv_grid,
      gt_data      TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF ty_flight.

Step 2 — PBO module with field catalog and colour logic:

MODULE pbo_100 OUTPUT.
  SET PF-STATUS 'ZMAIN'.
  SET TITLEBAR  'TITLE'.

  IF go_container IS INITIAL.
    CREATE OBJECT go_container EXPORTING container_name = 'CC_ALV'.
    CREATE OBJECT go_alv      EXPORTING i_parent = go_container.

    " Load data into custom type
    SELECT carrid, connid, price, currency
      FROM sflight
      INTO CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF TABLE @gt_data
      UP TO 50 ROWS.

    " Colour rows: green for price < 500, red for price >= 500
    LOOP AT gt_data ASSIGNING FIELD-SYMBOL(<ls>).
      <ls>-rowcolor = COND #( WHEN <ls>-price < 500 THEN 'C500' ELSE 'C600' ).
    ENDLOOP.

    " Build field catalog manually — tabname pulls DDIC column headers automatically
    DATA lt_fcat TYPE lvc_t_fcat.
    DATA ls_fc   TYPE lvc_s_fcat.

    ls_fc-fieldname = 'CARRID'.   ls_fc-tabname = 'SFLIGHT'.
    APPEND ls_fc TO lt_fcat. CLEAR ls_fc.
    ls_fc-fieldname = 'CONNID'.   ls_fc-tabname = 'SFLIGHT'.
    APPEND ls_fc TO lt_fcat. CLEAR ls_fc.
    ls_fc-fieldname = 'PRICE'.    ls_fc-tabname = 'SFLIGHT'.
    APPEND ls_fc TO lt_fcat. CLEAR ls_fc.
    ls_fc-fieldname = 'CURRENCY'. ls_fc-tabname = 'SFLIGHT'.
    APPEND ls_fc TO lt_fcat. CLEAR ls_fc.
    ls_fc-fieldname = 'ROWCOLOR'. ls_fc-no_out = abap_true.  " hidden — users never see it
    APPEND ls_fc TO lt_fcat. CLEAR ls_fc.

    " Layout: tell ALV which field contains the row colour code
    DATA ls_layout TYPE lvc_s_layo.
    ls_layout-info_fname = 'ROWCOLOR'.

    go_alv->set_table_for_first_display(
      EXPORTING
        is_layout       = ls_layout
      CHANGING
        it_fieldcatalog = lt_fcat
        it_outtab       = gt_data ).
  ELSE.
    go_alv->refresh_table_display( ).
  ENDIF.
ENDMODULE.

Using row colouring together with the Get selected rows example

Switching gt_data to TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF ty_flight changes the row type. If you also have the on_user_command handler from the previous section, update DATA ls_row TYPE sflight to DATA ls_row TYPE ty_flight there — otherwise activation will fail with: The row types of "GT_DATA" and "LS_ROW" cannot be converted to each other.

Further options

CL_GUI_ALV_GRID has many more capabilities — each typically involves a separate class or event registration:

Feature	How
Custom toolbar buttons	Register on_toolbar event, use cl_gui_alv_grid=>mc_fc_* constants
Cell-level colour	Use lvc_t_scol column in data table
Double-click row event	Register on_double_click event
Row-level icons	Add icon_d type column, set icon constants
Subtotals / grouping	Set subtot in field catalog, define sort criteria

CL_SALV_TABLE vs CL_GUI_ALV_GRID

Use CL_SALV_TABLE for read-only grids — it is simpler and requires no screen. Use CL_GUI_ALV_GRID only when you need editable cells, cell colouring with icons, or custom toolbar buttons.

See also

• CL_SALV_TABLE — simpler read-only ALV
• CL_SALV_FUNCTIONS_LIST — toolbar button configuration (SALV)

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