Status Icon Guidelines

Status Icons with Definable Meanings | Status Icons with Specific Meanings | Selecting Status Icons

The following list of status icons is a subset of the R/3 icons. We provide this overview because of the importance of status icons for alerts in IACs and MiniApps.

Status Icons with Definable Meanings

Group 0: Affecting a status

You can use the following icons to toggle and set a status or display an overview. The toggle icon can toggle states and views.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 0: Special case - Affect Status
	9B	ICON_ACTIVE_INACTIVE	Toggle status; display mode active/not active
	3J	ICON_SET_STATE	Set status
	F9	ICON_STATUS_OVERVIEW	Display status overview

Group 1: The "traditional" Status Icons for one-, two-, and three-value States

Using the icons for one-, two- and three-valued states:

As a one-value state: The green check mark for "Complete", "OK", and so on
As a two-value state: OK, good = Green check mark; critical, not OK = red X
As a three-value state: OK, good; critical, not OK, and the yellow lightning bold as an especially negative status

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 1: One, two, or three Values
	1	ICON_CHECKED	Checked; OK
	2	ICON_INCOMPLETE	Incomplete; critical
	3	ICON_FAILURE	Failed

Group 2: Plus and Minus (two-value, bipolar)

Plus and minus (good, bad) represent a two-value state that symbolizes an evaluation.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 2: Poles
	4	ICON_POSITIVE	Positive, good
	5	ICON_NEGATIVE	Negative, bad

Group 3: Light On/Off (two-value, unipolar)

Two-value status display: On - off, also in the sense of positive - neutral.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 3: Light On/Off
	BF	ICON_PRESENCE	On; presence
	BG	ICON_ABSENCE	Off; absence

Group 4: Small Traffic Lights with two States (two-value, bipolar)

Two-value status with meaning "Correct" or "Incorrect". It is immediately obvious that two status values exist.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 4: Small Traffic Light (two value)
	E4	ICON_INCLUDE_IN_SELECTION	Go; correct; include in selection
	GI	ICON_REMOVE_FROM_SELECTION	Stop; incorrect; exclude from selection

Group 5: The Traffic Light Icons with three States

Only use traffic light icons when you want to differentiate between exactly three different states. Always remember that traffic light icons require a relatively large amount of space. On the positive side, it is immediately apparent that the traffic light visualizes one of three possible states.

To save space, you should always use the LED icons (see group 6) in lists instead of the traffic light icons.

Three states: Correct, caution, and incorrect

You can use the gray traffic light for "Status not set".

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 5: The Traffic Lights
	8	ICON_GREEN_LIGHT	Green light; go; correct
	9	ICON_YELLOW_LIGHT	Yellow light; caution
	0A	ICON_RED_LIGHT	Red light; stop; incorrect
	EB	ICON_LIGHT_OUT	Light out; undefined

Group 6: The three LEDs

Similar to the traffic lights; Advantage: Save space; Disadvantage: It is not immediately apparent that the LED represents one of three possible states. Sensible in tables and when the context (adjacent field labels) makes the meaning apparent.

The gray LED stands for "Status not set".

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 6: The LEDs
	5B	ICON_LED_GREEN	Green LED; go; correct
	5D	ICON_LED_YELLOW	Yellow LED; caution
	5C	ICON_LED_RED	Red LED; stop; incorrect
	BZ	ICON_LED_INACTIVE	Inactive LED; undefined

Group 7: (2-)4-value States (bipolar)

This set of 2-4-value status contains two icons for good (processing) states and two icons for less good states. An optional icon indicates that no status has been set.

Comment: The icon for the critical state is not available at the present time.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 7: 4-value States
	OJ	ICON_STATUS_CRITICAL	Status is extremely critical
	MD	ICON_STATUS_ALERT	Status is critical
	ME	ICON_STATUS_OKAY	Status is good
	MF	ICON_STATUS_BEST	Status is very good
	MG	ICON_NO_STATUS	No status

Group 8: (3-)5-value Scale (bipolar)

Status one is more critical, negative; status 5 is very good, positive

You should only use this set of icons in exceptional cases, such as for an evaluation scale.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 8: 5 Unspecified Status Values
	P5	ICON_RATING_MINUSMINUS	--
	P6	ICON_RATING_MINUS	-
	P7	ICON_RATING_NEUTRAL	0
	P8	ICON_RATING_POSITIVE	+
	P9	ICON_RATING_POSITIVEPOSITIVE	++

Status Icons with Specific Meanings

Group 9: Blocked and Unblocked Objects

Indicate whether an object has been blocked or released.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 9: Block
	6	ICON_LOCKED	Blocked, locked
	7	ICON_UNLOCKED	Unlocked, released

Group 10: Posting Status

These icons indicate the processing status of objects that can be posted.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 10: Posting Status
	B3	ICON_STATUS_OPEN	Posting status open
	B4	ICON_STATUS_BOOKED	Posting status posted
	B5	ICON_STATUS_PARTLY_BOOKED	Posting status partially posted
	B6	ICON_STATUS_REVERSE	Posting status reversed, cancelled

Group 11: Data Movements; Data Operations

Indicate whether operations (such as loading data from a different system) succeeded or failed.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 11: Data Movements
	9O	ICON_ACTION_FAULT	Request failed
	9P	ICON_ACTION_SUCCESS	Request succeeded

Group 12: Process States

Indicate within a process chain whether a step is critical, a warning has been issued, or important information has to be observed.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 12: Process States
	AG	ICON_ALERT	Alert
	AH	ICON_WARNING	Warning
	AI	ICON_HINT	Hint

Group 13: Releasing and Closing Activities

Indicate whether an activity has been released and/or how it was closed.

Icon	ID	ABAP Name	Short Text
Group 13: Completion of Activity
	Q3	ICON_INITIAL	Initial; free, open
	DF	ICON_COMPLETE	Complete; free of problems
	5Y	ICON_RELEASE	Released
	F1	ICON_DEFECT	Not complete; defective

Selecting Status Icons

Criteria for Selecting a Suitable Group

Number of states: Groups 4 (small traffic lights), 5 (large traffic lights), and 6 (LEDs) clearly indicate how many status values are available; the specific meanings are entirely variable.
Critical states: Groups 1 (traditional), 12 (process states), 7 (2-4-value), and 8 (5-value) emphasize the difference between a critical and good state.
Two-value states: Groups 2 (plus, minus) and 3 (light on, off) are binary but general status displays for a bipolar or unipolar continuum.
Meanings: If groups 9-13 supply a suitable meaning, use one of these groups; otherwise use the general groups.

Rules for Decision-Making

Determine how many different states have to be displayed
Determine whether the meaning is already well covered by one of the groups: if so, use that group; if not:
Consider using group 3, 4, 5, or 6

Special Meanings after/for Entering Data

Which icon should be used if a tab strip or an area shows whether the data in this group has already been entered, whether the subsequent data check was passed, or whether an error occurred?

Suggestion
Green, yellow, and (if necessary) red LED from group 5: Green LED = correct; yellow LED = something is still missing; and red LED (if necessary) = defective, not touched yet. (Reason: Green stands for "Go", red for "Stop", which corresponds to the meaning in the above context, since steps are performed.)

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