To Override Project Coding Mask

[Former Member]

Dear All,

At present, we have coding mask in system where the Project ID= Company code

For example For ABCD Project ID , coding mask is -XXX-XX-0000-XXXXXXX, and ABCD is also a  company code.

The new requirement is to have Project Def such as ABCDP0001234, without any special characters, where ABCD is company code.

How can I override the existing coding mask for creating new Project Def, for say, a new Project profile.

Is there any user exit available for this?

Regards,

Manmay Mallick

[adam_sobkowicz2 · Accepted solution]

hello

What you can do:

1. You can delete all projects and change mask and import them again to system. Of course it means that you need to do a huge project for this with CO/MM/FI/SD consultants. That's a very cost consumable event but ... you will have data as you wish. I am not sure if that is worth it.

2. Simples way but a little longer but low costs.

You need to check 1 checkbox, in transaction OPSK check if you have Edit checkbox checked. If not that means you can create project outside the range of project number defined according to your project mask.

Eg. if you have only 1 mask

ABCD-XXX-XX-0000-XXXXXXX, you create project ABCD-EFG-KK-1234-ASD1234

if Edit checkbox is not checked you can create project eg WD12123332/2233-112-1212 but what is important you mustn't have any validation that check a project number and your new project number range doesn't start with ABCD chars. Check it yourself.

So if you stop using ABCD project mask and start using new coding project range as you almost want

ABCDP0001234 - but one char in ABCD must be change for a period of time you will use

0BCDP0001234 number. In other way the system will check it according to your ABCD mask.

When the time will come and projects with old number will go out and you will have only few of them activelu maintain you will make a decision to migrate the few old projects to new number 0ABC.

After that move you will need to archive old projects and remove them from your database then you can delete a mask ABCD. If you delete this old mask all your projects can be renumerate to your number expectation from 0BCDP0001234 to ABCDP0001234. And you got it

What are the costs of this solution:

1. Organizational decision to use new codings of projects 0BCD for period of time.

2. Prepare a few validation to check the project number if you don't use mask you need to have any mechanizm to verify correctness of your project numbers.

3. Small migration of few old projects to new ones.

4. Archive of old projects.

5. Small LSMW to renumerate 0BCD projects to ABCD projects.

When to do it?

It depends of your organization and the lifecycle of your projects.

Additional info

For a period of time in your old projects you can use Mask ID field in project definition and put there + sign in the place which char schould be used to find WBS element in the system as an alternative way.

Eg.

You have a WBS element ABCD-EFG-KK-1234-ASD1234

on the definition of this project in Mask ID put ++++_+++_++_++++_+++++++ where _ means space. In such a way on you WBS element in the field Short ID you will get ABCDEFGKK1234ASD1234 and this number can be used in reports etc.

Hope this help

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for the detailed reply.

I understand  that we can not have both Way of working (Old coding mask ABCD-XXX-XX-0000-XXXXXXX   ABCD is also a Company code) and ABCDP0001234 Project Def.

Our efforts for searching user exit gave no result. Next best possible course of action I see to propose a new Project Definition something like you suggested XABCDP0001234  (X being an unused PROID in TCJED)

Regards,

Manmay

[adam_sobkowicz2 · Accepted solution]

hello Manmay

Yes you understand it correctly, You can't have both. If you have ABCD mask defined and if you put number

ABCDP0001234 the system will check it with your mask. To change it you must use different 4 first chars that are defined in your mask.

Regards

Adam

[Former Member]

Hi,

I did not come across with any user exist or enhancement to eleminate the special character in coding mask. As a standard, mask must begin with special charactors either with letter (/.:>;-<=) which differentiate between your project id and coding mask that is numbering sequence of project.

What are the pros & cons from your business perspective by using or not using special special character in your project coding mask. does it give any value addition in terms of identification/ease of creating projects etc.

I am pretty sure spending time on enhancement is not a worth since I did not see any advantage over here by eliminating the special characters.

Thanks,

Sudhakar

[former_member195427]

Hi

In addition to the limitations given above by other experts there is a standard way to create project code independent of existing coding mask and you can create the project as ABCDP0001234.

Go to OPSK and remove the check box against the 'EDIT' field and save. Then create new project as ABCDP0001234 again. Hope system will allow you to create it.

Regards

Saurabh

[sanjeevc]

Hi Mallick,

as far as i know Coding mask can not be override once you have created any project with the reference of existing coding mask.

you have to create separate coding mark for new requirement other wise you have to delete all created projects then you can override the existing coding mask.

Regards,

Sanjeev

[Former Member]

Hi Sanjeev,

I understand that. Can we have an user exit developed which will ignore reading the coding mask from TCJED table for a specific project profile.

I could not find any such references in SCN formus. Would be helpful if anybody has worked in similar situations before.

Regards,

Manmay

[sanjeevc]

In SCN forum expert can assist you in standard scenario only.

if you want to go for z development then you have to explain abaper like TCJED is the table and you want to bypass this table then abaper will copied standard program and create z program as per your requirement

Regards,
Sanjeev

[Former Member]

Hi,

1) As I know, you can't create PD like ABCDP0001234. because in OPSJ, you must have to enter special char as a separator between PRJID and Coding mask.

Your coding mask is -XXX-XX-0000-XXXXXXX. You can't create XXX-XX-0000-XXXXXXX

2) If your Coding mask is used in system like by creating Project, then you can't change. Only a option of deleting Projects, used that coding mask. After that I think you can change it.

Regards

Shishir

[Former Member]

Hi Shishir,

I agree with you. It is impossible to bypass the coding mask for creating the required Project definition.

Is there any user exit, which will ignore the coding mask for a specific project profile.

Regards,

Manmay

[Former Member]

Hi,

No, I don't think, any user exit available for this.

You should contact to SAP OSS. And if any solution come from them, Let us know too.

Regards

Shishir