Setting the validation script property
To reduce the cost of errors found later in the process, Validation needs to be performed before a data file is submitted or approved. In cases where core validation cannot be performed, a Transaction solution can function as a validation script if the Transaction script is run on a production SAP system before the process starts.
To use a Transaction solution as a validation script, you must have the Solution Developer role. The feature is implemented in the script properties of any Transaction BAPI script, on the Map tab, for Excel data sources. The default setting is unchecked.
Background
If the Run Before Submission checkbox is checked for any script, data file runners can locally validate and run the data file against the production SAP System (as defined on Evolve), even before submitting the associated data file to Evolve. The Run button will be visible both when opening the data template and when working with approval tasks. The Identify Validation Script feature is intended for specific purposes, such as locally validating BAPIS before submitting them to the workflow process.
For linked scripts, the parent script setting (for the Run button) will determine whether the linked scripts can be used as a validation script, regardless of whether the Run Before Submission checkbox is checked or unchecked for subsequent scripts in the chain.
For multi-scripts, the individual scripts’ settings (the Run Before Submission checkbox) will determine if the multi-script is used as a validation script.
Impact on Existing Solutions
The Identify Validation Scripts feature does not impact the workflow in existing customer solutions. And, it does not affect the function of Studio scripts and BAPIs.
Enable in Existing Solutions
1. Open all intended Studio scripts, for which the Run button needs to be enabled, and enable the Is Validation Script property from the Script Properties panel.
2. Via Studio, resubmit each of these modified scripts to Evolve. Enable the Run button in local templates/data files using the same script and data template names (in order to create versioning).
This means: if more than one script is being used in a workflow solution, then the procedure followed (i.e., downloading the latest copy of the data template for all subsequent script submissions in a workflow solution) should be followed for creating versioning as well.
3. The Solution Developer then completes the script workflow (in order to move the script to production status) by selecting same running workflow.
4. If the Version Control for Data Templates preference is active on the Evolve site, data file submitters will have to download a new copy of the data template from the Evolve site. They will also need to discard the existing data template.
5. But, if Data File Runners are expecting to use pre-downloaded, locally saved data template copies, the Version Control for Data Templates preference must be inactive.
6. After following the above steps, Data File Runners, Submitters, and Approvers will see the Run button in the Excel Add-in for all scripts for which the Is Validation Script property is enabled and which have been re-submitted to Evolve.
Existing limitations
1. After the Solution Developer has enabled this property for any Transaction script or BAPI, then regardless of whether that BAPI/script was of the type Validate or Run, the Identify Validation Script feature will not be able to distinguish that, and you will be able to post locally via the Add-in against the production server in Evolve mode. And, you will be able to do this without needing to use the workflow approval process.
2. Because these validations are local to the Add-in and to Excel, you will experience the slower processes which are normal for local Add-in runs.