Explain the definition of field status variant, chart of account and document type?

Field Status Variant
  
'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 

COA
 
Chart of accounts (COA) is a list of the accounts used by an organisation. The list can be numerical, alphabetic, or alpha-numeric. Each nominal ledger account is unique to allow its ledger to be located. The list is typically arranged in the order of the customary appearance of accounts in the financial statements, profit and loss accounts followed by balance sheet accounts.

Document Type 

The document type controls how a document is stored and edited. You therefore need to make the Customizing settings relevant to the document type.
SAP supplies the Document Types Customizing Wizard to help create new document types. You can also use the Document Types Customizing Wizard repeatedly to create new document types when the system is in operation.
 
To reach the Document Types Customizing Wizard, choose the following in the Implementation Guide (IMG): 
 
SAP Web Application Server -> Basis Services -> ArchiveLink -> Customizing Incoming Documents -> Workflow Scenarios -> Document Types Customizing Wizard.
 
Number range
  
Whenever there is a new Sales Org being created, you will be required to maintain Number Ranges for Sales Documents which are allowed for your New Sales Area. 
Number Ranges can be maintained Internally by the system, however it can be maintained externally also if you customize it accordingly. 

In Standard SAP the Transaction code for Maintaiing Number ranges externally is VN01. 

Defining - The same can be reached through in IMG as : Sales & Distribution-->Sales-->Sales Document Header-->Define Number Ranges for Sales Documents. 

Retained Earnings
 
In accounting, retained earnings refers to the portion of net income which is retained by the corporation rather than distributed to its owners as dividends. Similarly, if the corporation makes a loss, then that loss is retained and called variously retained losses, accumulated losses or accumulated deficit. Retained earnings and losses are cumulative from year to year with losses offsetting earnings.

Retained earnings are reported in the shareholders' equity section of the balance sheet. Companies with net accumulated losses may refer to negative shareholders' equity as a shareholders' deficit. A complete report of the retained earnings or retained losses is presented in the Statement of retained earnings or Statement of retained losses.

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