Flat vs Qualified Flat

[Former Member]

Hi,

What's the difference between Flat & Qualified Flat table?

Thanks

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Lookup table is only having lookup value based on 1 field. whereas in Qualified table its based on qualifiers.

A qualified table is a special kind of lookup table that is extremely versatile. It can be used to efficiently store complex relationships between a main table product record and one or more lookup table records that contain various types of additional information.

A qualified table stores a set of lookup records, and also supports qualifiers, database “subfields” that apply not to the qualified table record by itself, but rather to each association of a qualified table record with a main table record.

• Flat, hierarchy, or taxonomy lookup tables. A flat, hierarchy, or taxonomy lookup table typically contains a relatively small number of lookup records compared to the number of main table records. It is used as a valid table that facilitates data entry and drilldown search, where each lookup table record represents a valid lookup value from which the user can select directly, and the list of lookup values can be limited by main table search results. A flat, hierarchy, or taxonomy lookup table provides full validation against lookup table values and

records, since all of the subtable information is stored in the records of the lookup table. The relationship between main table records and flat, hierarchy, or taxonomy lookup table records is typically many-toone (or perhaps many-to-few, if the lookup field is multi-valued).

• Qualified lookup tables. A qualified lookup table typically contains a much larger number of lookup records compared to a flat, hierarchy, or taxonomy lookup table, but still much smaller than the number of main table records. It too is used as a valid table that facilitates data entry and drilldown search, where each lookup table record often represents a valid combination of nested lookup values from which the user can select directly, or indirectly using the multi-level searchwithin-

a-search of a qualified lookup search tab; however, a qualified table provides only partial validation against lookup table values and records, since some of the subtable information is stored as qualifiers. The relationship between main table records and qualified table records is typically many-to-many.

+ An

[Former Member]

Hi

follow the link:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_mdm550/helpdata/en/8e/9f9c427055c66ae10000000a155106/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_mdm550/helpdata/en/8e/9f9c427055c66ae10000000a155106/frameset.htm

this explains with examples differences between flat and qualified flat table in MDM.

regards-

Ravi

[Former Member]

Hi Rokie,

What's the difference between Flat & Qualified Flat table?

Genarally to avoid the redundancy of data, both Lookup[Flat] and Qualified Flat will be used.

But What's the difference between Flat & Qualified Flat table?

Lookup[Flat] contains some set of legal values which can be shared by main table .But in some cases

we may have the data in some fields changes frequently based on other fields in that table.

Suppose Price of a particular product changes based on region.Here what we need to understand is

there are multiple values for each main table product.Obvisouly it increases redundancy of data.

Qualifer table contains qualifier and non-qualifier fields.

Data which is frequently changes based on other fields considered as Qualifier fields.

Non-Qualifier fields contains the data which is responsible of changes in qualifier fields.

I am giving differences between Lookup[Flat] and Qualified lookup.

1) Lookup[Flat] contains predefined set of records (Ex: List of manufactures for particular product)

whereas Qualified lookup contains conditional set of records (Ex: Pricing based on manufaturer and

region)

2) Lookup within lookup is possible whereas qualified lookup is possible only on main table

3) Lookup table record need to be maintained before main table record whereas qualified record is

maintained after main table gets created.

4) Lookup[Flat] contains relatively small no of records when compared to main table whereas qualified

lookup contains large no of records when compared to main table.

For better understanding, go through the above blogs given by others.

Hope it helps,

Reward points,if found useful.

Thanks,

Narendra.M

[Former Member]

HI,

Lookup Flat, Is just a flat table which links to a main Table.

Like Customer is a Main Table and Country is a Lookup Flat Table.

Here Country holds the legal sets of values.

Qualified Table , is a combination of two fields- Qualifier and Non - Qualifier. this table is linked to the Main table.

A qualifier is dependent on non-qualifier field.

To know more about Qualified Table and how effective it is,please visit these link.

/people/community.user/blog/2006/12/20/so-is-that-the-qualifier-or-the-non-qualifier

/people/pooja.khandelwal2/blog/2006/03/29/taming-the-animal--qualified-tables

Thanks,

Felix

Edited by: Felix on Apr 22, 2008 5:09 AM

[Former Member]

Hi Rokie,

Look up FLat and Qualiifed Tables are 2 of the total types of tables present in MDM.

Lookup Flat - When you have a defined set of data for a particular Field, that Field can be taken as a Look-up Flat in MDM. You can also take this a normal check table in R3 system.

For ex, Country Table - This will have a set of countries which will be applicable for you. Hence while designing your structure in MDM, you can design this table as a Look-up Flat.

The Values come in Drop-down in MDM and for a record any value can be selected from the Drop-down. These values generally dont change too much.

Look-up Qualiifed Flat - This table is designed when the Fields inside the Table itself have a relation between themselves.

If a Field is deciding upon the Value of the other Fields then such kind of modelling can be done using a look-up Qualified Table.

Just a rough ex,

If Year, Commodity and State can decide upon the Tax on the commodity, then this kind of the structure can be designed a Qualified Table

Below is an execllent Blog on Qualified Table. Kindly go through it for better understanding :

[https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/3417] [original link is broken] [original link is broken] [original link is broken];

Hope it helps.

*Please reward points if useful

Thanks and Regards

Nitin Jain

[Former Member]

Hi Rokie,

Flat Lookup:

A flat lookup table is one in which the values in that table are a set of legal values.

The values i this table do not have nay relationship among the lookup values as is the case with other lookups such as lookup Hierarchy values are in Hierarchy etc.

This table values are a straight forward set and the most simpliest of all lookups.They appear as a drop down in the main table so taht for a particular rec you can select on eof teh legal values specific for one rec.

Eg:Country table values can be a lookup flat.

Qualifier Flat:

This table is used to store the table values where in thee values have a relationship among them.The non qualifiers in this table will determine the Qualifiers.

It is used in special cases when there is a dependencies among the data and we do not want to populate the data straight forwardly but wnat that the data in the Qualifiers comes acoording to the non qualifier values.

Eg:Alternate unit of meaure could be a qualifier table

Bank details

Hope it helps

Kindly reward points if found useful

Thanks

Simona