What is the use of Field Status Variant. Why it is required?

What is the difference between "Posting Key Variant and Field Status Variant". Why both the things are required to define as both control the fields. What specific fields are controlled this fields.

'Posting Key Variant ' Controls- fields of Posting Key and 'Field Status Variant' controls fields of G/L Account.Fields of G/L Account which are controlled by FSV can see in T.Code OBC4 and Fields of Posting Keys in SPRO-FAGS-Document- Line Item.  Both can controls common fields, then SAP applies 'SDRO' rule.

SDRO rule. The fields can be Suppressed, Displayed, Required, Optional.

Posting is key controls 
 - which type of accounts can be posted to
 - whether the line item is debit or credit
 - and the field status of the document line item

Where as FSG (group into Field status Variant) controls only the the document line item for that account.

There are only three field status options during document entry:
 - Suppressed
 - Required
 - Optional

If both Posting key and FSV has the same field as Required and optional, system uses the link rules, takes the one which has the highest priority(in this case required).

But in case of Master record Field status which is controlled by Account Group, there are 4 options of field status:
- Suppressed
- Display
- Required
- Optional

Account group defines: 
 a. length of gl account number 
 b. no. ranges of the gl account numbers 
 c. field status of the GL account master data in the company code segment.(which fields to appear when you create a gl account) (to control...double click on your GL account group in Screen transaction code OBD4) 

Posting key defines: 
 a. whether the line item is a debit or credit 
 b. to which type of account the amount should be posted to(ex: when you use posting key 40,  you will be able to post to gl accounts.  When you use Posting key 01, you will be only able to post to customer account. 
 c. document screen layout during posting of a document. (which fields to appear in a document...double click on the posting key and select field status and make the entries as required /optional etc) 

Field status group defines: 
Document screen layout during posting of a document. (which fields to appear in a document...double click on the field status group and select fields and make the entries as required /optional etc) 

LOGIC: you assign field status variant to the company code, FSV is a bundle of field status groups. 

ex: in FSG G001 you have made the text as required entry...you assigned the field status group g001 to cash account..so when you use cash account and try to post a document it will definitely prompt you to enter the text (text made as required.) 

Both FSG and PK control the same feilds in a document.There is no dominance between FSG and Posting keys..but we should know the allowed combinations.... 

If text is made required in PK and suppressed in FSG..the system will issue a error msg..Rules for PK...and FSG....is set incorrectly for SGTXT field. 

Permissable combinations: 

Pk          R/S     O/S   R/o     R    S  O 

FSG         S/R     S/O   o/r     R    S  O 

Result   e   SD      RD    NP   NP  NP 

  R  = required 
  s   = suppressed 
  e   = error 
SD  = Suppressed dominates 
Rd  = required dominates 
 np  = no problem. 

Tips by : Gangadhar, Jagadeesan

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