Giving some life to SAP menu screen

Time ago, I decided to look for a way to add some life and additional functionalities to my personal boring menu screen… Wait!
This not another document on how change background colours or image on the right upper…

And after some work, I wanted to share with you the results and how-to.

Let’s have a look at the differences:

 

Block 1: added pushbuttons in toolbar to exit SAP and navigate to SPRO in a new session.

 

Block 2: added gifs in application bar with different functionalities: navigate to Accuweather and to Google Maps, execute:
MS Word, SAP general menu and SAP logistics menu, send an email by outlook and navigate to Google and to SCN.

Block 3: added gifs in menu area with different functionalities: navigate to gmail, to SAP business workplace, to SPRO,
to Google and to SAP help portal, execute: SAP logistics menu, SAP financial menu, SAP workbench menu, SAP systems menu and SAP general menu.

 

Block 4 and Block 5: added a specific icon by client and descriptive text displayed in title bar on status bar to distinguish visually the client and transaction we’re working with. This will help to avoid committing mistakes when working with different clients and sessions in a smart way. Icon is only displayed in status bar.

Of course you’ll be able to add/remove pushbuttons, gifs and icons and adjust functionalities as you like after reading this document.

Interested?

Great, that means you’ll keep reading this document…

Steps

 

1-Create the following directory: C:\guixt\scripts. This is where our scripts will be stored by default. A script is a file that contains sentences to execute things. We don’t need to have programming skills for this script.

2- Open notepad editor, copy & paste the script at the end of the document and save it as  saplsmtr_navigation.0100.txt in C:\guixt\scripts and close it.

3-Icon and gifs. Download from http://ge.tt/1ngALYy to C:\guixt\scripts (download available for next 30 days). Alternatively you can create/use your own (change name of them in script if needed).

4- Activate GuiXT in our laptop & desktop. By doing so, script will be executed when creating a new session or after new login. This script is run locally in our laptop/desktop.

5- Test & Enjoy

Activating/Deactivating GuiXT

We need to use GuiXT, software developed by Synactive and available for free, with limited functionality. To use it, we need to activate it locally in our desktop/laptop.

To activate/deactivate, just click on customize local layout icon and click on Activate:

Once activated, minimize Guixt screen and at the bottom of our screen, a GuiXT icon becomes available

Now we click on GuiXT icon and select Edit, Profile and tic on No language key in script name in further options block. In that way, the scripts we create are non language dependant. We click on Ok button and minimize GuiXT screen.

Log out from SAP. Next time you log in, you should notice changes in your screen…But before, let’s keep reading.

Understanding this script

You can comment any sentence by setting at the beginning of it these two symbols \\ and it won’t be executed.

The script is divided into blocks that correspond with the blocks shown in the screenshot at the beginning of the document for better understanding.

Block 1: sentences executed here are similar of those executed in command field.

Block 2: sentences with start means that when clicking on a image (gif) system will start execute something (navigation on internet, execution of an executable…) when sentence starts with Input, is similar to using command field but thru an image.

You need to adjust the sentence mailto and set proper TO email.

Block 3: same as Block 2. Sentence POS will shift SAP menu downwards 2 lines.

Block 4 & 5: according to client number, we use a specific icon and a text that contains two system variables (_client and _transaction).

You need to replace client number by yours.

It’s not the goal of this document explain in detail syntax of the sentences in the script. You can find in Internet GuiXT documentation on syntax and keywords for further details.

Logon and test it

 

Log on and your screen should have a new look. Try different functionalities. If you want to know which functionally has every image, just click on GuiXT button and read the script we’ve copied and once done, minimize GuiXT screen (if you close it by mistake, you’ll have to logout and login).

If no GuiXT is displayed, check directory and script names and if GuiXT is activated.

Errors

If GuiXT icon is red

it means that there is an error in our script. If this happens, we click on GuiXT icon and a GuiXT window will open, containing our script and showing the error. We click on Edit, Script and notepad opens the script for us to modify.

Once we correct the sentence, we can save (file, save) and exit editor (file, exit) and finally minimize GuiXT screen. We open a new session to check the results (GuiXT icon in this new session should not be red, otherwise there’s still an issue and we have to repeat the process of editing the script and looking for the issue). This process (clicking in the GuiXT icon and edit & save & exit notepad) can also be used to update the script on the fly and see the results immediately. Remember to close editor (not GuiXT! If you close it, you’ll need to logout and logon) if you’re modifying on the fly to avoid having several scripts opened simultaneously with the risk of overwriting the script depending on the order you’ll close them.

Graphics

In block 1, SAP icons can be found with tcode RSTXICON (select Icons as Abap list and use values in column code. In the script the value must be between @’s).

In block 2 and 3 we can use images with extension bmp, gif or jpg. Size of gifs used in block 2 must be 18×18, while for block 3, they can we bigger, I used 34×34.

In block 4 we must use images with extension ico. Size I used is 32×32.

Gifs and icons come from free to use websites or created by myself.

Finally

To avoid someone updating the script, once it works fine, we can hide GuiXT icon. To do it, we click on GuiXT icon and select Edit,
Profile:

And in start window, select Hidden instead of normal.

If you need GuiXT icon back, execute guixt.exe visible in C:\Program Files\SAP\FrontEnd\SAPgui. It will be visible till you log off. If you want it visible permanently, update the profile and in start window area set normal.

Stop using GuiXT

If you decide to stop using GuiXT, deactivate Sap GuiXT as we saw at the beginning of the document. If you don’t want to use a script, rename or delete it.

Script. Copy & paste below sentences and change client number and mailto email as explained in step 2

//

// Start script

//

// Block 1

pushbutton (toolbar) “@VB@bye bye” “/nend”

pushbutton (toolbar) “@OJ@SPRO” “/ospro”

// Block 2 in tool bar gif size 18×18

image (toolbar) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\jscn_18x18_1.gif” Start=”http://scn.sap.com/welcome\”

image (toolbar) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\google18x18.gif”   Start=”http:\\www.google.com\”

image (toolbar) “c:\guixt\scripts\mail_18x18_1.gif”     start=”mailto:xx@xx.com?subject=Some issues in system &V[_client]&body=Hello, “

image (toolbar) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\menu18x18_log.gif” “Input=OK:/ns000_lo”

image (toolbar) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\menu18x18.gif”    “Input=OK:/ns000”

image (toolbar) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\word18x18.gif”      Start=”C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\winword.exe”

image (toolbar) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\maps18x18.gif”     Start=”http:\\maps.google.com\”

image (toolbar) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\weather18x18.gif” Start=”http://www.accuweather.com/“

// Block 3 in Menu Area gif size 34×34 Images horizontal

pos X[image_container] X[image_container]+(2,0)

image (0.1,0.1) (1,3)  “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\gmail234x34.gif”       Start=”http:\\www.gmail.com\”

image (0.1,5.1) (1,8)  “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\sms34x34.gif”           “Input=OK:sbwp”

image (0.1,10.1) (1,13) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\custo34x34.gif”      “Input=OK:spro”

image (0.1,15.1) (1,18) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\google34x34.gif”     Start=”http:\\www.google.com\”

image (0.1,20.1) (1,23) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\sap34x34.gif”          Start=”http:\\help.sap.com\”

image (0.1,25.1) (1,28) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\Logistics34x34.gif” “Input=OK:s000_lo”

image (0.1,30.1) (1,33) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\Finance34x34.gif”   “Input=OK:s000_fi”

image (0.1,35.1) (1,38) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\Workbench34X34.gif” “Input=OK:s001”

image (0.1,40.1) (1,43) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\System34x34.gif”    “Input=OK:s002”

image (0.1,45.1) (1,48) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\General34x34.gif”   “Input=OK:s000”

// Block 3.A in Menu Area gif size 18×18 Images vertical

//pos X[image_container] X[image_container]+(0,5)

//image (0,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\gmail18x18Alt.gif”     Start=”http:\\www.gmail.com\”

//image (1,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\sms18x18Alt.gif”       “Input=OK:sbwp”

//image (2,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\custo18x18Alt.gif”     “Input=OK:spro”

//image (3,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\google18x18Alt.gif”    Start=”http:\\www.google.com\”

//image (4,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\sap18x18Alt.gif”         Start=”http:\\help.sap.com\”

//image (5,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\Logistics18x18Alt.gif” “Input=OK:s000_lo”

//image (6,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\Finance18x18Alt.gif”   “Input=OK:s000_fi”

//image (7,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\Workbench18X18Alt.gif” “Input=OK:s001”

//image (8,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\System18x18Alt.gif”    “Input=OK:s002”

//image (9,0) “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\General18x18Alt.gif”   “Input=OK:s000”

// Block 4 & 5

SET V[var1] “&”

if Q[client=500]

Icon “C:\guixt\scripts\social_aim.ico”

TitlePrefix “Client IDES &[_client]:&V[var1]V[_transaction]”

endif

// Adjust yourself for rest of your clients by removing // and using client and proper icon name 

// if Q[client=xxx]

// Icon “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\social_evernote.ico”

// TitlePrefix “Client IDES &[_client]:&V[var1]V[_transaction]”

// endif

// if Q[client=xxx]

// Icon “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\social_twitter_bird.ico”

// TitlePrefix “Client IDES &[_client]:&V[var1]V[_transaction]”

// endif

// if Q[client=xxx]

// Icon “C:\GuiXT\Scripts\social_apple.ico”

// TitlePrefix “Client IDES &[_client]:&V[var1]V[_transaction]”

// endif

// End script

A variant

You might prefer not having menu shifted downwards. We can set icons vertically on left side and shift menu rightwards. In that case, I recommend reduce size from 34×34 to 18×18 or less.

The only thing that we have to do is modify our script, commenting (//) block 3 and un-commenting block 3.A.

Last comment

You’ll notice that when creating a new session, added gifs in application bar shift leftwards. Opening a menu or executing a tcode in command field will set them to their original place.

Enjoy!

Regards,

JM