All functions and new features are described in detail in the manual that is supplied with SimDia².
Newsletter 21 (03.2022): What’s new in Version 3.2.1
With version 3.2.1, we have implemented the much-requested function for exporting entire tables from SAP to Excel. Furthermore, we have made numerous detail improvements to SimDia² and fixed some minor bugs.
Export of entire tables from SAP to Excel
The biggest new feature in this version of SimDia² is the function for exporting entire tables from SAP to Excel. This now gives users the option of transferring not only individual values, but also entire tables from SAP to Excel quickly and easily.
(NOTE: The term “tables” refers to data that are displayed in the SAP GUI in table form for viewing or editing purposes. This does not refer to technical SAP tables such as MARA etc.).
This can be helpful whenever data from specific tables is required from many master records; be it for a low-effort editing of the data or also as an evaluation without having to deal with the technical table structures in SAP.
In HR, for example, the individual income components of all desired employees can be evaluated (income reading list), or likewise the individual components of any number of bills of materials in materials management:
Please note that the aim of SimDia² here is to offer a quick and easy possibility for evaluation on the basis of the SAP GUI, not to be a replacement for SAP reporting or a data warehouse.
NOTE: The permission to export data from SAP to Excel can be specified via the SimDia² Admin Tool . The permission can be assigned both generally for all users as well as individually for specific users.
Additional new features
User interface:
NEW: Option “Change SAP session” in the additional menu for restart options
FIX: Controls for table and export options in the Recording Wizard were partially inaccessible when an Excel file with > 30 columns was used for recording
Processes:
NEW: When restarting SimDia², the files currently in use can be automatically reloaded if desired
FIX: The backup of the Excel sheet to be imported was not created if the option “Always ask” was selected for this purpose
FIX: In rare cases, it was incorrectly determined that the Excel file and the recording file do not match
FIX: Errors occurred when loading recording files from read-only directories
Recording:
NEW: Option when exporting from Excel to SAP to remember the selected transfer direction for the entire recording
NEW: When canceling a recording during which data was exported from SAP to Excel, the changed cells in Excel can be reset
NEW: Yellow status messages (warning messages) in SAP can now also be confirmed with the button (however we still recommend using the Enter key to confirm SAP messages)
CHN: The Recording Wizard no longer aborts if the SAP profile parameter “user_scripting_set_readonly” is set to “TRUE”
Import & Export:
NEW: Option to save the Excel file to be imported periodically during the import
NEW: If a pending error message is displayed in SAP, a corresponding notification is issued when an import is started
NEW: When importing into SAP tables, SimDia² recognizes if the column structure changes between two call-ups of the table and adjusts the import automatically
FIX: The use of buttons in the header of ALV Grid Views could lead to errors during the import
FIX: Using the tilde (~) as a search term in a table search caused an error in the search process
FIX: When importing into SAP tables, errors sometimes occurred when a newly created data set was to be marked after being created
FIX: Overwriting a value in an SAP table that was searched beforehand by SimDia² did not work correctly
FIX: Fields in SAP tables were not recognized correctly if their technical name contained the character “/”
Other:
CHN: Improved monitoring of the state of the loaded Excel file
FIX: In the SimDia² Admin Tool, the information about the currently occupied licenses was not displayed completely
Numerous minor bug fixes and improvements
All changes are of course as usual documented in detail in the SimDia² manual.
Newsletter 20 (03.2022): War in Ukraine: ERSAsoft donates 20,000 € to aid organizations (Update 1)
As much as we wished it, sadly we are not spared from bad news this year either. Therefore, we support the victims of the senseless war of the Russian leadership against Ukraine in addition to our regular commitment by a renewed donation of 10,000 € to the alliance of German aid organizations “Aktion Deutschland Hilft“.
16.12.2022 Update 1: Donation increased to 20,000 €
Newsletter 19 (07.2021): Flood in Germany: ERSAsoft donates 10,000 € to aid organizations
Since its foundation, ERSAsoft GmbH has regularly supported several regional and national charitable organizations. Now the news about the flood disaster in the Ahr valley has struck us all. In addition to our regular commitment, we therefore support those affected by a donation of 10,000 € to the alliance of German aid organizations “Aktion Deutschland Hilft“.
Newsletter 18 (10.2020): What’s new in Version 3.2
In version 3.2 of SimDia², it’s all about performance. Through adjustments to the user interface as well as to the recording process and especially the import into SAP tables, we were able to considerably speed up the work with SimDia² in many areas. And in addition to the performance improvements, the new version also offers a number of new functions that you certainly should not miss.
Performance
Recording Wizard
Improvements in the SimDia² user interface mean that steps are recorded more quickly, thus significantly reducing the time required to fill SAP fields with Excel values. This is particularly noticeable when creating recordings for Excel files with many columns.
Import
In general we were able to achieve some performance improvements when performing imports.
Import into SAP GUI tables
Since version 7.50 Patch Level 11 of SAP GUI, there is an error in the GUI scripting interface concerning the addressing of table fields. As a result, the processing of SAP tables via GUI scripting has become extremely slow.
In version 3.2 of SimDia², we have successfully circumvented this SAP error. As a result, we were able to increase the speed of table processing in the affected SAP GUI versions by more than 20 times. In all other SAP GUI versions, the table performance was also significantly improved:
Comparison of the performance in SAP tables between SimDia² Version 3.1 and 3.2
Import in transaction IA05: Allocation of 10 resp. 25 columns per SAP table row
The more columns allocated per table row, the higher the performance increase with SimDia² Version 3.2
Performance increase in SAP GUI 7.50 – PL 8: 4x to 6x
Performance increase in SAP GUI 7.60 – PL 7: 25x to >60x
Start import time-delayed
It is now possible to start the import with a time delay after selecting the Excel and recording file. For this purpose, a new menu item has been added next to the “Start import” button:
Calling up the time-delayed start
With this new function, various settings can be made, such as the desired start time for the import. After confirming the settings, a countdown starts, after which the import starts automatically.
Options for time-delayed start
User interface with active scaling
The SimDia² cockpit is now automatically undocked from the SAP window if a Windows screen scaling of more than 125% is used. An error in the SAP window scaling causes SimDia² to not scale correctly in docked mode. In undocked mode, SimDia² is displayed in the correct size.
Windows settings for screen scaling
In addition, the behaviour of SimDia² in undocked mode has been revised. SimDia² now behaves more like a normal program window and has buttons for minimizing and moving the window.
Additional changes:
Excel and recording files can now be opened via”Drag & Drop” onto the SimDia² user interface.
Improved recognition of the position of SAP elements during recording when Windows screen scaling is active.
To activate SAP elements, a 1 second right click can now also be performed (instead of a mouse wheel click)
The display of keys in SAP dropdown lists can now be activated by SimDia² on request.
The SAP error message “BOM is recursive” no longer causes the current dataset to be aborted during import. This means that recursive bills of materials can now also be processed with SimDia².
When launching SimDia², a message is displayed if the Belize Theme is activated in SAP (using this theme can lead to various problems).
When launching SimDia², important and recent notifications can now be displayed. The notifications are provided via an online retrieval.
Enhanced check at SimDia² startup whether the requirements for correct operation are fulfilled.
Improved notification texts for the case that permissions have been withdrawn from the user via the SimDia² admin tool.
When checking if loaded Excel and recording files match, leading and trailing spaces and tabs in Excel headings are now ignored.
The preselection of the directory when loading Excel and recording files has been adjusted.
Bug fixes:
Fixed an error in the table search for ALV Grid Views with with a large number of entries.
When undocked, SimDia² no longer overlaps the Recording Editor or file selection windows.
Numerous minor bug fixes, detail and convenience improvements.
All changes are of course documented in detail in the SimDia² manual.
Newsletter 17 (03.2020): SimDia² - Free licenses for healthcare due to the Corona pandemic (Update 6)
SimDia² – Free licenses for healthcare due to the Corona pandemic
Dear customers and interested parties of SimDia²,
In the last few days we have had some conversations with our clinic customers. We have learned that their administrations are also in an exceptional situation due to the current situation surrounding the Corona pandemic.
Even though our capabilities in this matter are limited, we would like to support the healthcare system
in this situation as best we can.
Therefore and effective immediately, we are offering all companies and institutions operating in the healthcare sector a time-limited, but otherwise unrestricted license ofSimDia², free of charge and without any obligation – no matter if ERSAsoft customer or not.
With this license, any number of employees can work with SimDia² simultaneously and without any restrictions. Hereby we would like to help you to avoid bottlenecks in these challenging times, at least in the area of SAP data management.
The unlimited license is valid provisionally until 31.05.2020. Depending on the situation and duration of the crisis caused by the corona virus, we will extend the license beyond that date if necessary.
To obtain the unlimited license for SimDia², simply contact us.
We will then send it to you immediately.
One more note respectively request:
This offer is explicitly valid for all clinics, companies and institutions in the healthcare sector that are involved in the fight against the Corona virus, even if they are not among our customers*). So if you have contacts to other clinics or corresponding companies (diagnostic laboratories, vaccine and drug research, health institutes, medical technology manufacturers, logistics companies etc.), which could be helped by the use of SimDia² in the current situation, please forward this offer or simply establish a personal contact with us.
*) As our personnel resources are limited, we ask for your understanding that we can provide our usual full support only to our customers. You will find all the necessary knowledge to work successfully with SimDia² in the videos on our homepage and in the user manual which is enclosed with the software. Information on setting up SimDia² can also be found on our homepage. The time required for setting up the software is only a few minutes.
Stay healthy
Your ERSAsoft team
12.05.2020 Update 1: Offer extended until 31.07.2020 10.12.2020 Update 2: Offer renewed until 28.02.2021 15.02.2021 Update 3: Offer extended until 31.03.2021 25.03.2021 Update 4: Offer extended until 30.04.2021 21.04.2021 Update 5: Offer extended until 31.05.2021 23.11.2021 Update 6: Offer renewed until 31.03.2022
Newsletter 16 (06.2019): What’s new in Version 3.1
With version 3.1, we mainly enhance SimDia² with features that resulted from the wishes and suggestions of our users in our customer talks and our user survey in December 2018.
This includes, among other things:
New features in the Recording Wizard
Undo recording steps
It is now possible to undo individual recording steps during the creation of a recording.
You can undo steps up to the point at which data was last saved or transferred to the SAP server.
Import of long texts into the SAP line editor without prior formatting
SimDia² now enables the import of multi-line long texts from a single Excel cell into the SAP line editor without having to prepare the texts in Excel or splitting them into individual columns.
SimDia² recognizes when data is to be transferred into the SAP line editor and automatically splits them up according to the line length available in the editor.
The transfer takes place including all blank lines, line breaks and the required control characters for the line editor. In the same way, long texts from the SAP line editor can be exported to an Excel cell entirely in just one step.
Multi-line long text in Excel before transfer to SAP
Multi-line long text after transfer from Excel to the SAP line editor
Editing ALV Grid Views using the dynamic SimDia² table functions
The dynamic SimDia² table functions can now also be applied to ALV Grid Views. This allows you, for example, to now also search this SAP table type for specific keys and edit them selectively according to your requirements.
Exporting the SAP status bar
In addition to transferring field values from SAP to Excel, you can also transfer success messages (green status messages) from the SAP status bar to Excel.
You can transfer both the entire status message and individual parameters of the message:
Status message in SAP
Transfer options for SAP status messages in the Recording Wizard
SAP status message transferred to Excel (entire and individual parameters)
Creating and displaying comments for recording
Before saving a recording (both in the Recording Wizard and in the Editor), you now have the option of storing a comment on the recording. This comment can then be displayed in both the SimDia² Cockpit and the Editor.
Revision history for recordings
SimDia² now creates a revision history for each record. This contains the author, the date and the comments for each new creation or change of a recording.
New features in the Recording Editor
Setting steps as optional
This option allows you to specify that a step is to be treated as optional during the import. This is useful, for example, in cases where a field or button exists and is to be processed in SAP for some data records, but not for others.
Inserting stop points into recording
This option allows you to specify that a forced stop point is inserted before a step, for example to perform a manual entry in SAP during the import.
Statistical data about the usage of SimDia²
SimDia² now provides statistical data on its use (number of data sets transferred, time required, SAP transactions used etc.). The statistics data are stored exclusively locally and can be accessed via the SimDia² Admin Tool.
The data can then be evaluated with the usual Excel functions. This provides you with detailed information on your use of SimDia².
Miscellaneous:
Tray menu: Added a quick option to download the ERSAsoft QuickSupport Tool and send a support request or feedback mail (menu item “Help”)
Notice on startup of SimDia² if a version of SAP GUI with known errors in the SAP GUI Scripting component is installed on your system. The list of affected versions is kept up-to-date via online retrieval from the ERSAsoft server.
(NOTE: This is a read-only data retrieval. No data will be sent whatsoever!)
New option in the SimDia² Admin-Tool: You can now restrict the authorization to export data from SAP to Excel
When saving a new recording, the name of the recording file is now proposed by default by SimDia² applying the following format:
__
In addition to the button content, the button captions in the Recording Wizard are now also highlighted when in use
For a better overview, data exported from SAP to Excel as well as detail data are now highlighted by color in Excel
Option to disable notification sounds during import
When exporting radio buttons, the currently active radio button in the group is exported instead of the focused radio button
Via the function “Insert new steps” in the Recording Editor, a single fixed value can now be added to the recording without having to record other actions
In the Recording Editor, deactivated recording steps are hidden by default for a better overview
Error messages at startup of SimDia² completely revised and translated into all languages
Improved stability when using Excel during an import
Bug fixes:
Fixed an error where the SimDia² Cockpit was positioned outside of the visible screen area
Fixed an error where the timer for automatically confirming error messages during import did not work correctly
Minor bug fixes, detail and comfort improvements
All changes are of course documented in detail in the SimDia² manual.
Newsletter 15 (12.2018): Results of our user survey from December 2018
In December we conducted our online user survey on SimDia². We mainly wanted to find out which topics are particularly important for our users in the future development of SimDia². We also asked some questions about our users’ personal experiences and satisfaction with SimDia² and ERSAsoft. Today we would like to share the results of this survey with you.
Who took part?
35% of all users and customers who were contacted took part in our survey (usually, 3 to 5% participation is more common in such surveys). 71% of all participants answered the questionnaire completely.
As developers, we are delighted that so many of you are actively taking part in the development of SimDia², both in the survey and in our numerous customer meetings. This shows us that our work is not only important to us, but also to you, and encourages us to continue to make SimDia² even better for you in the future. Thank you very much for this!
How was the feedback?
A very special reason for us to be happy was your feedback on the questions about customer satisfaction:
97% of the participants are satisfied or even very satisfied with SimDia²
(in detail: 60% very satisfied; 36.7% satisfied; 3.3% rather dissatisfied; 0% dissatisfied).
More than 98% of the participants would probably or definitely choose SimDia² again (in detail: 81.4% definitely; 17.9% likely; 1.7% unlikely; 0% definitely not).
And our personal highlight: 100% of the participants are satisfied or very satisfied with the support from ERSAsoft as well as with ERSAsoft as partner and supplier
(Support by ERSAsoft: 76.7% very satisfied; 23.3% satisfied;
ERSAsoft as partner and supplier: 74.4% very satisfied; 25.6% satisfied).
We think: We couldn’t have gotten a better gift from our customers so shortly before Christmas. We feel honored by your trust and will do everything we can to continue to live up to it. Because this is the way we wish for the partnership with you to be. Many thanks again for that!
What happens next?
We will now incorporate your feedback into the further development of SimDia² and implement it accordingly in the next versions. Of course we can’t realize everything at once, especially since there are many more topics on our development agenda that didn’t make it into the survey.
In addition to the evaluation in the survey, other criteria also play a role, such as the feedback from our customer meetings, the implementation complexity or the urgency of a function. We therefore ask for your understanding if your favorite feature might not make it into the next version right away.
Some of the features that will be implemented in the next version of SimDia² are, among others:
Undoing steps in the recording
Marking steps in the recording as optional
Introduction of usage statistics for SimDia²
Dynamic table editing for ALV GridViews
Handling long texts in the SAP line editor
These and other points are currently already being implemented. Your feedback thereby makes a valuable contribution to the continuous development of SimDia². Because only this way we could and can make SimDia² the tool that best supports you in your work. Therefore, we would like to encourage you to communicate your wishes, thoughts and ideas to us also outside of the customer survey. Because as always:
If you have any questions, problems or suggestions for improvement, we are always there for you. Just let us know!
Sincerely
Your ERSAsoft Team
Newsletter 14 (04.2018): What’s new in Version 3.0.1
With version 3.0.1, we are primarily enhancing SimDia² with features that have resulted from user feedback on version 3.0. This includes among other things:
New options in the settings menu :
Settings menu of SimDia²
Docking and undocking of SimDia² to SAP (1)
With this option, you can select whether the user interface of SimDia² should connect to the SAP window. By default, SimDia² is docked to SAP and behaves as if it were part of the SAP user interface.
Alternatively, you can undock SimDia² from SAP and display it as a separate window (for example on a separate screen or to solve scaling problems).
Show splash screen at startup of SimDia² (2)
With this option, you can select whether the SimDia² logo is being displayed at the startup of SimDia²:
Splash screen of SimDia²
Create a backup of the Excel sheet to be imported (3)
With this option, you can specify whether SimDia² should create a backup of the Excel sheet to be imported before starting the import:
→ Backup of the Excel sheet to be imported
Display Excel data before import starts (4)
With this option, you can choose whether SimDia² should first display the data sets to be imported once more in the Excel file as well as in its hint field for checking before starting the import. Alternatively, the import will start immediately.
Anzeige der Datensätze im Hinweisfeld von SimDia²
Further enhancements:
• When using position numbers to select radio buttons, these are now addressed via their position in the respective radio button group (instead of via their position within the entire SAP screen as previously).This makes it easier to select radio buttons by their position numbers and thus in a language-neutral way.Previously:
Now: NOTE: Existing recordings, in which radio buttons are addressed via their position numbers and multiple groups of radio buttons are present on the SAP screen, may have to be adapted accordingly.
When closing an Excel file, it is now possible to save the file containing the import logs as a copy under a different name.
Additional information is being displayed in the tooltip for the loaded recording file (creator, creation date, last editor, last editing date):
Markers for table rows found by a SimDia² search can now also be set with a mouse click (previously only possible via shortcut command).
Data imported with SimDia² no longer overwrite the input history of the assigned SAP fields. The input history of the user is retained.#
Bug fixes:
Fixed an error where in some cases the file selection window for saving a recording file was not displayed
Fixed a display error when resizing the Editor
Fixed an error in the Editor when inserting new steps at the beginning of the recording
Fixed an error where in some cases the SimDia² management files were damaged
Minor bug fixes and detail improvements
As usual, all changes are documented in detail in the SimDia² manual.
Newsletter 13 (08.2017): What’s new in Version 3.0
Now the time has finally arrived: The release of SimDia² version 3.0 is here!
For the first time in 7 years, we are releasing a new main version of SimDia². With version 3.0, you will receive the frequently requested ability to view and edit your recordings as well as many other useful features and simplifications in operation.
In recent months, we have worked intensively on the realization of these new features. For this, more than 70 internal versions of SimDia² were programmed, tested and continuously developed further.
In addition, we held numerous discussions with our users and conducted a detailed closed and open beta test for the first time in our company history. We hope that we have achieved our goal, and version 3.0 of SimDia² will meet all your expectations both in regard of functionality as well as the simple and intuitive usability.
In addition to the new Editor, you can expect many new and enhanced features. In the following overview, we have summarized for you all major innovations of SimDia² Version 3.0:
Revised user interface
Optimized user guidance
For version 3.0, we have revised the user interface of SimDia² fundamentally. User guidance is now more closely aligned with user action and should be even more intuitive, especially for new SimDia² users.
More flexible processes
With Version 3.0, SimDia² is now much more flexible in its application:
The Excel file is no longer queried and permanently linked to SimDia² when SimDia² is started. Instead, you can call the desired Excel file via a new file selector and change it at any time without restarting SimDia².
Both recordings and imports can now be paused, cancelled and restarted at any time.
You can now run as many consecutive imports as you want, without having to shut down and restart SimDia² each time. Simply click the “Done” button after a completed import.
You can now reset or restart SimDia² at any time. With the latter function, you can also transfer SimDia² to another SAP mode without having to completely terminate and restart SimDia².
Options menu
SimDia² now has an option menu directly in the user interface. With it you can configure SimDia² to your preferences.
Recording Editor
The desired feature of version 3.0! From now on, you have the possibility to change recordings in (almost) any way you wish.
You can now:
A Disable recording steps B Change the header and detail data status C Change data sources (Excel column or fixed value) D Modify linked Excel columns E Change table options F Insert new steps into the recording
Template Generator
In addition to the Recording Editor, SimDia² has a new Template Generator in version 3.0. With it, you can quickly and easily create new Excel templates for your data to be imported.
Other new features
Column letters of the Excel columns in use are displayed in the Recording Wizard and the Recording Editor, if desired
When exporting SAP fields to Excel, the Excel column is formatted according to the exported SAP field
For imports from Excel to SAP, leading and following spaces in Excel are ignored
All user-defined filters and colors in Excel files used by SimDia² are retained
SAP system name and client are now stored in the log comment of the imported Excel file
Buttons and checkboxes within SAP tables can now also be triggered dynamically by Excel values
If only a single SAP window is present, it is automatically set as the target window when SimDia² is started
Faster launch of SimDia²
Revised and in many cases significantly improved user hints
As usual, all changes are documented in detail in the SimDia² manual.
Newsletter 12 (12.2016): What’s New in Version 2.8.2
It’s Christmas season, so we are treating SimDia² with an update to version 2.8.2 which comes with the following alterations (among others):
New: Arrangement of SAP table columns in arbitrary order
Columns in SAP tables can now be rearranged arbitrarily without affecting the import. SimDia² will recognize the changed column order and automatically adapt to it during the import process with no user action required. Thus it is not a problem if the arrangement of an SAP table changes between recording and import.
New: Data export from SAP to Excel from ALV Grid Views
In addition to the already available functions for exporting data from SAP to Excel, SimDia² now also supports the transfer of data from ALV Grid View tables.
New: Improved handling of SAP transactions in which unusually large numbers of messages are output during the import
SAP contains some transactions that produce a huge number of messages during the import. Examples of this are tables in which a message is displayed for each individual line during the booking. This can quickly result in several hundred messages which must each be confirmed individually. The behavior of SimDia² in such transactions has been adjusted accordingly:
– The number of SAP messages that are automatically confirmed by SimDia² during the import is now set dynamically depending on the scope of the transaction.
– In addition, the limit on the number of SAP messages that are automatically confirmed by SimDia² can be manually lifted.
New: Improved processing of table types that do not adhere to SAP standards SimDia² can now process even more table types that have not been programmed according to the given SAP standards. For example, tables can now be processed in which the SAP internal row index differs from the actual number of rows.
New: SAP table search in columns with drop-down lists
The search function in SAP tables now supports columns that contain drop-down lists.
New: Mixed licenses
Concurrent User licenses of SimDia² can now be combined with Named User licenses in a single license file. This eliminates the need to create and manage separate folders for users of different license types. The prerequisite for this is that the folder containing the license file is located on the named server path.
Fix: Corrected a function that in some cases triggered an unintentional calling up of a transaction and an undesired size adjustment of the SAP window when launching SimDia².
Fix: Corrected an error that could occur under the following combination of circumstances:
– Windows is locked
– Import is being conducted in the background
– Workaround for large files is activated
– Function “Simulate SAP save” has been used during the recording
Fix: An active file preview in the Windows Explorer no longer prevents the opening of a second Excel instance.
Fix: Failed login attempts in SimDia² due to occupied server licenses are reliably logged in the admin tool.
Some speed enhancements as well as minor changes, corrections and adjustments
Newsletter 11 (08.2016): What’s New in Version 2.8.1
Version 2.8.1 of SimDia² contains further detail improvements. The changes are as follows:
New: Optional recording of the F4 Dialog
All steps in the F4 value research help can now be recorded. With this, SimDia² offers the option to research unknown field values by using distinct search terms in the Excel file during import. An exemplary use case for this would be identifying and editing a material number based on its EAN or – in case of publishing products – its ISBN.
New: The capabilities for dynamic editing of tables in SAP dynpros have been further enhanced with additional options for the individual editing methods:
– Extended search and editing options for “Create new dataset” and “Search dataset”
– Search dataset without automatically creating a new dataset if it does not exist yet
– Remember import option selection for all columns of a table
Furthermore, new and extended tooltips have been implemented into the recording dialog for tables.
New: Creation of a “Lic” subfolder for all license and administration files.
Write permission is now only required for this subfolder. Upon first calling up of version 2.8.1, all affected files will be moved into the new folder automatically.
Fix: When using Excel data for performing dynamic functions (e.g. for triggering buttons or checkboxes), values such as “0.00” and “0,00” are now correctly interpreted as “do not trigger”.
Fix: Due to a Windows Update by Microsoft, in some cases the Excel session used for an import would not be closed when exiting SimDia².
Fix: The display duration of tooltips is now dynamically adjusted to the text length of the respective tooltip.
Some minor changes, corrections and adjustments
Newsletter 10 (04.2016): What’s New in Version 2.8
A lot has changed in version 2.8 of SimDia². But this time, the change has been mainly under the hood: With this version, we have completely reprogrammed our SAP2Excel Bridge, the core of SimDia².
For one, this brings some performance advantages, but mainly it is the basis for completely new future functions of SimDia², like the much sought-after recording editor.
Apart from that, the most prominent feature of the new SAP2Excel Bridge is an increased size of the recording files (as they will be containing much more information internally). But do not worry – there is no need for you to recreate all of your existing recordings. SimDia² is and always will be fully compatible with recording files that have been created with earlier versions. And not only that: the earlier versions of SimDia² are also compatible with the new recording file format.
In addition, version 2.8 contains the following changes:
When starting an import, the SimDia² window will now stay in the foreground in all Windows versions
To avoid runtime and controlling issues, only one instance of SimDia² can be started at a time per PC
Daily Concurrent User licenses are now released again in case that no recording has been created or no import has been conducted in SimDia² with the respective license
Some minor changes, corrections and adjustments
Even though the tangible changes in this version may be subtle, we still recommend making the switch. The reason is that only recordings that are created in the new format will be able to benefit from future developments. As described above, the previous recording files can still be used, but their functionality will be limited to the functions of version 2.7.3.
Newsletter 9 (09.2015): What’s New in Version 2.7.3
Version 2.7.3 of SimDia² includes more detail improvements. Specifically, these are the following changes:
New: “Create SimDia² shortcuts” menu item in SimDia² tray menu to access a selection mask for:
– Creating a SimDia² icon on the desktop
– Creating an entry for SimDia² in the start menu
– Linking the “*.simdia” recording files with SimDia²
Fix: With SAP GUI version 7.40, the SAP error which increases the response times of SAP with larger data sets continuously has considerably more impact. The SimDia² workaround is therefore now enabled significantly earlier.
Fix: Search in tables within the MM transactions possible.
Fix: When starting an import, the SimDia² window stays visible even when the Excel window would overlay it.
Fix: Under Citrix, wrong character size was displayed in individual cases for the SimDia² UI.
Fix: When starting SAP GUI via saplgpad.exe (instead of saplogon.exe), in some cases the SAP window was not correctly identified.
Fix: The SAP message “Select a valid function” during recording is suppressed.
Some minor changes, corrections and adjustments
Newsletter 8 (08.2015): What’s New in Version 2.7.2
SimDia² version 2.7.2 contains several detail improvements as well as workarounds. Functional changes are not included in this version. The detailed changes are as follows:
Workaround: In specific cases (faulty design of an SAP dynpro), SAP GUI did not provide individual fields during background processing. This caused errors during the import.
Workaround: An error in SAP GUI caused crashes (CTD – crash to desktop) during imports with no error message if, at the time of a SAP menu call, a pop-up window (e.g. an SAP message) was displayed.
Adapting SimDia² user interface when the user changed the text size in Windows
(Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Display) .
Controlled SimDia² program shutdown in case the current SAP session is closed during an ongoing import.
Adaptations to Office 2013
Several minor changes, corrections and adjustments
Newsletter 7 (05.2015): What’s New in Version 2.7
With version 2.7, SimDia² for the first time ever offers the possibility to perform dynamic actions within SAP.
To find out what exactly this means and what else our newest version has in store for you, just have a look at our short overview:
Dynamic actions
Dynamic actions within SAP can be required on various occasions, e.g.:
To perform certain actions in SAP only if required, depending on the respective data constellation within the Excel sheet. Example:
When booking payments, in some cases a divergent cost center is being recorded via a separate window.
Depending on the already present SAP data, different actions will be performed. Example:
If SAP field X contains value Y, then action A will be performed. Otherwise, action B will be performed.
SAP automatically triggers an action during data input depending on data constellation. Example:
If the amount of a material falls below the required minimum due to a change of data, SAP will propose a supply request.
With SimDia², all these dynamic actions can now be controlled in an event-triggered way. And as always with SimDia², all without the need for intricate programming knowledge.
Let us show you just how easily this can be done with the following video:
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SimDia² has already been offering the possibility for targeted selection and change of already existing data sets within SAP tables.
With our new version, this unique feature is further expanded by offering even more possibilities.
For example, it is now possible to specifically select the required views in the view selection of the transaction MM02-Change material, irrespective of their position within the selection mask.
Support of ALV Grid Views
ALV Grid Views are a special and seldom occurring kind of SAP tables which are contained e.g. in the transaction SU01-User Maintenance.
Workaround for a SAP GUI error that can occur during the import of large data amounts
In various SAP transactions (e.g. MM01, MM02, FD32…), the PC might slow down during the import process after several thousand data sets due to faulty programming of the SAP GUI. This can lead to a complete freezing of the PC.
To prevent this, a workaround has been implemented in SimDia².
New functions for increased user convenience
As usual, we have implemented several minor and major enhancements into this version to make working with SimDia² even more convenient.
Some examples:
New layout, adapted to the “Corbu” SAP GUI design.
No more limitation to 99 Excel columns. The Recording Wizard can now display as many buttons as required.
When using the F4 help during a recording, the selected value will be recorded.
The Enter key can now be used during the recording.
Automatic provision of a separate Excel instance as well as a second SAP session in which you can continue your work while performing a data import.
Newsletter 6 (09.2014): What’s New in Version 2.6
Version 2.6 of SimDia² released today again contains numerous enhancements and innovations. Let us show you the most important ones:
SimDia² goes international
From this version forward, SimDia² is fully multilingual. Both the interface and the documentation are now available in German and in English.
Other languages can be implemented in a short time.
By default, the language selection is based on the SAP system language. But a manual selection is also possible.
Authorization assignment and administration of SimDia²
SimDia² does not distinguish between different license models and program versions with limited or full features. With any program version and in each licensing model, you will have the full range of functions.
Nevertheless, for internal operational reasons, it may be necessary to assign different permissions for the use of SimDia². For this purpose, we provide our customers with a separate administrative tool.
Using this tool, different permissions can very easily and flexibly be managed without having to acquire new licenses or having to upgrade existing licenses.
Data set selection in SAP tables
So far, SimDia² allowed targeted selection and modification of existing data sets in SAP tables.
This function has been extended yet gain. The key search is now no longer limited to the first column of the table. Instead, the query can now be in any column.
Automatic search for the data set to be modified (e.g. for the material number M-15)
New functions for greater user comfort
In this version, we have again made a number of small and large improvements in order to further facilitate the work with SimDia².
Here are some examples:
Meaningful help texts (tooltips) can now be displayed for each button and each field of the user interface.
With the help of a new pause button in the Recording Wizard, recording can now be interrupted and resumed at any time.
During recording, use the F4 help for SAP is now permitted. Thus, the possible input values can be searched directly.
We were able to increase the processing speed once again. This applies particularly to large-scale data imports.
Newsletter 5 (03.2014): What’s New in Version 2.5
Mit der Version 2.5 veröffentlichen wir das bisher umfangreichste Update von SimDia², unserer Software zum einfachen und komfortablen Datenimport aus Excel® nach SAP®.
With version 2.5, we are publishing the most extensive update of SimDia², our software for easy and convenient import of data from Excel into SAP.
The most important new features for you at a glance:
Fully automatic import of header and detail data
Now you can import any number of records with header and detail data into SAP. And that fully automatically and without prior adaptation or processing of the import data.
Simply leave importing your data into different SAP transactions to SimDia², for example:
Registration of vendor invoices in transaction FB60
Creating material master records in transaction MM01
Changing material master records in transaction MM02
Income changes in transaction PA30
Change of customer orders in transaction VA01
Sounds good? Watch our short video showing how it works:
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SimDia² already allowed targeted modification of data sets that are included in table elements within a transaction.
Automatic search for a data set to be changed
We now have expanded this feature in version 2.5: Now it is also possible to select specific data sets for processing in selection tables.
Automatic search for a data set to be selected
New functions for greater user comfort
In addition, in version 2.5 we have once again made numerous small and large improvements. After all, it is our goal to make SimDia² as user-friendly as possible for you.
Here are some examples:
Ability to selectively omit SAP fields when importing data
Simple and intuitive function to build templates for import files
Automatic opening of the target transaction when you open a protocol file
New color scheme in the protocol
As you can see, with version 2.5, we extend SimDia² once more with features that are not found in any other software designed for data import into SAP.
Webinar
For this version, we offer some free 30-minute live webinars where we will give an overview of all the new features and changes. There will of course be ample time for questions and requests.
Newsletter 4 (06.2013): What’s New in Version 2.4
Version 2.4 of SimDia² offers once again some unique features that were previously not possible without complex ABAP programming.
In particular, there are – in addition to various improvements – the following enhancements:
Dynamic activation of checkboxes and radio buttons
For the first time, without programming, you can now import values into SAP that are not selectable via choice lists, but via
Checkboxen
und Radiobuttons
– just as simple as “normal” data.
Our short video will show you how easy it is:
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Also as first and only software, SimDia² is able to edit data dynamically directly within SAP.
For this, all Excel features are available to update, extrapolate, transform or change data within SAP in a single operation at will. Apart from the corresponding Excel know-how, no extra knowledge is required.
But see for yourself:
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In the Recording Wizard, data that have already been processed are highlighted as such.
User guidance for data transfer from SAP to Excel
The user guidance for data transfer from SAP to Excel has been improved and explained more clearly.
Optimized import start
Significantly accelerated the start of the import. This is especially beneficial for large import files with numerous data sets.
Newsletter 3 (01.2013): What’s New in Version 2.3
Version 2.3 offers once again some significant innovations to make working with SimDia² even more productive and easier.
In particular – apart from some minor improvements – there are following enhancements:
Export data from SAP to Excel
In addition to the data import, there is now the possibility to export data from SAP to Excel.
Thanks to our “smart” Recording Wizard, the data export is just as easy and intuitive to manage as the data import. Our short video will show you just how easy :
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Multi-line text in Excel cells with manual line breaks are imported depending on the SAP target field: If the target SAP field supports multi-line texts, data is being transferred 1:1. Otherwise, the manual line breaks are ignored.
Saving of the SAP user ID in the processing protocol
The processing protocol has been extended with the indication of the SAP user ID.
Ignoring of certain SAP error messages
SAP occasionally incorrectly carries out tests already when calling a transaction, which may result in error messages (e.g. “Fill in all required fields”). These error messages are now ignored by SimDia² until the data is actually being sent.
Newsletter 2 (10.2012): What’s New in Version 2.2
With version 2.2, ERSAsoft again offers some new features to make working with SimDia² even easier, more efficient and safer.
No administrator rights required in Windows 7
Previously it was necessary to start both SAP GUI and SimDia² with administrator rights under Windows 7. This is no longer necessary now.
No accidental overwriting of data sets
For SAP data sets with time constraint 1 or 2 it is possible that, due to faulty import data, e.g. already input (future) data sets will be overwritten by a new data set if the new data set has a validity period which extends over the overall period covered by the existing data set.
This unintentional overwriting of an existing data set is now effectively prevented by SimDia². Overwriting a data set in this constellation occurs only after approval by the user.
Optimized progress indicators
For the progress indicators of SimDia², an extrapolation over the estimated remaining time was added. Additionally in Windows 7, a progress bar is also displayed in the icon of the relevant SAP window in the taskbar, so that a visual progress control is possible even while running in the background.
Newsletter 1 (08.2012): What’s New in Version 2.1
Now with support for dynamic SAP tables
Besides some minor improvements, version 2.1 for the first time includes the possibility to edit existing data in SAP tables (–> table controls within a dynpro).
SAP tables are usually dynamic tables. This means that the same keys in different processes are each in different table rows. A manipulation of existing data sets by conventional means was not possible in the past.
ERSAsoft has now managed to develop a solution to this problem. From now on, SimDia² supports the processing of dynamic tables. And this at unchanged ease of operation.
But a film is worth a thousand pictures: In our tutorial video, we show the approach and the possibilities offered by this new functionality for importing data into SAP:
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button (however we still recommend using the Enter key to confirm SAP messages)
: 
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