List-processing: limitations to 255 chars per line?

Question

Hi,
check the sample code below and if possible, execute it in some of your systems:
start-of-code
REPORT  ZISM_TEST52 LINE-SIZE 300.
DATA:
  line(300) TYPE c.
WRITE '0123456789' TO line+250(10).
WRITE: / 'From variable', /.
WRITE  line.
WRITE: / 'Directly to the list', /.
WRITE AT 251 '0123456789'.
end-of-code
As you can see from the execution, when writing something into the char variable (in this case line), and try to put it into your screen, there is a limitation - only the first 255 characters of the variable take place in the resulted list. But, if you write directly into the list, this limitation is missing.
My question is closely related to this limitation:
Is there a possibility to avoid this limitation while putting something into the variable, and after that writing it to the list?
Situation is: I have quite complex report to rewrite (with several lists, and complex header texts for each list), which uses this technique - write to internal table, after that loop at the table and use simple write statement. I would like to save my effort and time and to use a a possibility to write variables longer than 255 chars to the list - if there is any.
So? Is there such a possibility?
Any help would be highly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.
Regards,
Ivaylo Mutafchiev

Answer 1

HI Ivaylo
Below is from documenation:
Creates a report with col columns per line.
If the LINE-SIZE specification is missing, the line length corresponds to the current screen width. The system field SY-LINSZ contains the current line size for generating lists. The maximum width of a list is 1023 characters. You should keep lists to the minimum possible size to improve useability and performance (recommendation: LINE-SIZE < 132). For very wide lists (LINE-SIZE > 255), you should consult the notes for using LINE-SIZE
greater than 255.
Notes
The specified LINE-SIZE must not appear in quotation marks.
If the you want the report list (i.e. the output) to be printable, do not define a LINE-SIZE with a value greater than 132 because most printers cannot handle wider lists. <b>You cannot print lists wider than 255 characters at all using the standard print functions.</b> To print the contents of the lists, you need to write a special print routine that arranges the data in shorter lines (for example, using the PRINT ON addition in the NEW-PAGE statement.
At the beginning of a new list level, you can set a fixed line width for the level using the ... LINE SIZE addition to the NEW-PAGE statement.
Maybe the highlighted portion might be one reason for this behaviour.
Kind Regards
Eswar