Simple Transformation / initial_components not working as expected

[alejandro_bindi]

I have created a simple transformation to transform from DDIC structures to XML. The structures mimic the XML hierarchy so the conversion is almost 1 to 1.

The problem I'm having is that although some fields have no value, an element is created for them, even when using the initial_components = 'SUPPRESS' option.

This is a simplified version of the real code that has the same behaviour: In this case, DDIC structure YSTESTS has 2 fields: CHARS type CHAR10, and STR type STRING.

ABAP:

REPORT  y_tests2.

DATA:
      gv_initcomp TYPE string,
      xstr    TYPE xstring,
      struct TYPE ystests.


PARAMETERS:
  p_blanks    TYPE c AS CHECKBOX DEFAULT 'X'.

START-OF-SELECTION.

  IF p_blanks = 'X'.
    gv_initcomp = 'INCLUDE'.
  ELSE.
    gv_initcomp = 'SUPPRESS'.
  ENDIF.

* ABAP > XML

  TRY.
      CALL TRANSFORMATION y_tests
        SOURCE data = struct
        RESULT XML xstr
        OPTIONS initial_components = gv_initcomp.
    CATCH cx_transformation_error.
      MESSAGE 'Error en transformación' TYPE 'A'.
  ENDTRY.

  CALL FUNCTION 'SCOL_TRACE_SHOW_XML'
    EXPORTING
      xdoc = xstr.

ST:

<?sap.transform simple?>
<tt:transform xmlns:tt="http://www.sap.com/transformation-templates" xmlns:ddic="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/types/dictionary" xmlns:def="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/types/defined">

  <tt:root name="DATA" type="ddic:YSTESTS"></tt:root>

  <tt:template>
    <data tt:ref="DATA">
        <chars tt:value-ref="CHARS"></chars>
        <str tt:value-ref="STR"></str>
    </data>
  </tt:template>

</tt:transform>

The XML output is like this, even when deselecting the P_BLANKS checkbox:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
<data>
  <chars></chars> 
  <str></str> 
</data>

The only solution I've found so far is to post-process the resulting XML using the iXML interfaces (DOM processing) to iterate over all the nodes and remove the empty elements, but I sure hope there is a simpler and cleaner way to achieve this.

Am I right?

Many thanks

[alejandro_bindi]

I have created a simple transformation to transform from DDIC structures to XML. The structures mimic the XML hierarchy so the conversion is almost 1 to 1.

The problem I'm having is that although some fields have no value, an element is created for them, even when using the initial_components = 'SUPPRESS' option.

This is a simplified version of the real code that has the same behaviour: In this case, DDIC structure YSTESTS has 2 fields: CHARS type CHAR10, and STR type STRING.

ABAP:

REPORT  y_tests2.

DATA:
      gv_initcomp TYPE string,
      xstr    TYPE xstring,
      struct TYPE ystests.


PARAMETERS:
  p_blanks    TYPE c AS CHECKBOX DEFAULT 'X'.

START-OF-SELECTION.

  IF p_blanks = 'X'.
    gv_initcomp = 'INCLUDE'.
  ELSE.
    gv_initcomp = 'SUPPRESS'.
  ENDIF.

* ABAP > XML

  TRY.
      CALL TRANSFORMATION y_tests
        SOURCE data = struct
        RESULT XML xstr
        OPTIONS initial_components = gv_initcomp.
    CATCH cx_transformation_error.
      MESSAGE 'Error en transformación' TYPE 'A'.
  ENDTRY.

  CALL FUNCTION 'SCOL_TRACE_SHOW_XML'
    EXPORTING
      xdoc = xstr.

ST:

<?sap.transform simple?>
<tt:transform xmlns:tt="http://www.sap.com/transformation-templates" xmlns:ddic="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/types/dictionary" xmlns:def="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/types/defined">

  <tt:root name="DATA" type="ddic:YSTESTS"></tt:root>

  <tt:template>
    <data tt:ref="DATA">
        <chars tt:value-ref="CHARS"></chars>
        <str tt:value-ref="STR"></str>
    </data>
  </tt:template>

</tt:transform>

The XML output is like this, even when deselecting the P_BLANKS checkbox:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> 
<data>
  <chars></chars> 
  <str></str> 
</data>

The only solution I've found so far is to post-process the resulting XML using the iXML interfaces (DOM processing) to iterate over all the nodes and remove the empty elements, but I sure hope there is a simpler and cleaner way to achieve this.

Am I right?

Many thanks

[Former Member]

Hi Alejandro,

How did you solve this?

I have the same problem and I have no idea what is wrong.

Any help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,

[JackGraus]

Hi Alejandro, try this ST:

<tt:cond s-check="not-initial(ref('CHARS'))">
  <chars tt:value-ref="CHARS"/>
</tt:cond>
<tt:cond s-check="not-initial(ref('STR'))">
  <str tt:value-ref="STR"/>
</tt:cond>

Regards Jack

[Former Member]

Hi Jack,

Thank you very much for this, it is working, all the initial fields are not displayed. Now is it possible do this for tags with no reference? for instance

<RCPNT_CORP_NM>

                <tt:cond s-check="not-initial(ref('L1_NM'))">
                  <l1_nm>
                    <tt:value ref="$line.L1_CORP_NM"/>
                  </l1_nm>
                </tt:cond>

<RCPNT_CORP_NM>

My tag L1_NM is not displayed if initial, but the parent <RCPNT_CORP_NM> is displayed even when it doesnt have elements. I tried

<tt:cond s-check="not-initial('RCPNT_CORP_NM')">

but didn't work

Edited by: carlosrv on Sep 27, 2011 6:31 PM

[JackGraus]

Hi, try this

<tt:cond s-check="not-initial(ref('L1_NM')) or ...">
  <RCPNT_CORP_NM> 
    <tt:cond s-check="not-initial(ref('L1_NM'))">
      <l1_nm>
        <tt:value ref="$line.L1_CORP_NM"/>
      </l1_nm>
      ...
    </tt:cond>
  <RCPNT_CORP_NM>
</tt:cond>

Regards Jack

[alejandro_bindi]

Sorry, haven't received response notifications, and I did this long ago.

What I did was something similar, I used:

<tt:cond check="not-initial(CHARS)">
   <chars tt:value-ref="CHARS"/>
</tt:cond>

Regards