topic Re: Hi in Application Development and Automation Discussions

Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:16:13 GMT

can anybody give me a clear idea about the search help in data dictionary and also about elementary and collective search help? what is the difference between them?

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:18:53 GMT

In the collective search help you will get more than 1 tabs and on the basis of those parameters you can search records for any field.In the elementary search help you will get just one field on the basis of which you will have to search the data.

For example go to transaction MM03.Press F4 on the icon for search help in field MATNR you will get a list of parameters on the basis of which you can search the material. This is collective search help.

Go to VA01 transaction .Press F4 for Order Type you will get just one list of Order Types. This is elementary search help.

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:19:35 GMT

HI,

Regards,

S.nehru

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:20:59 GMT

Hi,

Search help:

The input help (F4 help) is a standard function of the R/3 System. The user can display the list of all possible input values for a screen field with the input help. The possible input values can be enhanced with further information. This is meaningful especially when the field requires the input of a formal key.

See this link

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/eb/e8dbc3e53d11d4b36c0050da429303/frameset.htm

Elementary Search Helps

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/cf/21ee5f446011d189700000e8322d00/frameset.htm

Creating Collective Search Helps

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/cf/21ee86446011d189700000e8322d00/frameset.htm

Reward if it is useful,

Mahi.

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:21:23 GMT

Standard Search Help

The input help (F4 help) is a standard function of the R/3 System. It permits the user to display a list of possible values for a screen field. A value can be directly copied to an input field by list selection.

The fields having an input help are shown in the R/3 System by the input help key to the right of the field. This key appears as soon as the cursor is positioned on the corresponding screen field. The help can be started either by clicking on this screen element or with function key F4.

If the number of possible entries for a field is very large, you can limit the set of displayed values by entering further restrictions.

Further meaningful information about the displayed values is included in the display of possible entries, especially if the field requires that a formal key be entered.

TYPES OF SEARCH HELPS

Elementary search helps

Describe a search path. The elementary search help must define where the data of the hit list should be read from (selection method), how the exchange of values between the screen template and selection method is implemented (interface of the search help) and how the online input help should be defined (online behavior of the search help).

Collective search help

Combine several elementary search helps. A collective search help thus can offer several alternative search paths.

Block diagram of Search Help

Context data: You first have to define the context data to be used in the input help process. The context contains the information obtained in previous dialog steps and the entries already made by the user in the current input mask. This information is normally used to restrict the possible values for the current input field.

Dialog behavior: It describes the order of the dialog windows to be displayed during the input help and what they should look like.

Data collection method: It defines where the values offered to the user for selection come from.

Return values: When a value is selected from the list of possible entries, it is stored in the search field. This often results in the contents of further screen fields, such as explanatory text, being updated. You therefore should define which values can be returned to the screen.

In addition to describing an input help, you must define the fields for which it should be used. This is part of the field definition (of the search fields).

In Release 4.0, the search help was introduced in the ABAP Dictionary as a new object type. A search help is an object that describes the input help process. The individual components of such a description can be defined with attributes of the search help.

Search helps are subject to the same rules concerning their maintenance, activation and transport as all other objects of the ABAP Dictionary.

Search helps provide greater flexibility and functionality for defining input helps than the matchcode and help view object types offered up to Release 3.x.

Search Help Interface

Search help interface determines how the exchange of values between the screen template and the selection method is implemented.

The search help interface defines the context data that can be used in the input help and the data that can be returned to the input mask. Analogously to the interface of a function module, the search help interface comprises interface parameters.

When you define an interface parameter of a search help, you must also define whether it should be used to copy data to the input help (IMPORT parameter) or whether it should be used to return data from the input help (EXPORT parameter). A parameter of a search help can also have both attributes at the same time.

The location from which the IMPORT parameters of a search help get their values and the screen fields in which the contents of the EXPORT parameters of the search help are returned are defined in the search help attachment. The search help itself should always be attached to an EXPORT parameter of the search help. If this parameter is also the IMPORT parameter, its contents are only used in the input help if it is a search string (that is, if it contains a ´*´ or a ´+´).

You must define the parameter types of a search help. You can do this by assigning them data elements.

Value Transport for Input Helps

NOTE:In the above example, screen fields A, B and C are linked with parameters of the search help. As a result, values can only be transported between the screen and the search help for these three fields. Existing contents of screen fields A and B can be used for selecting the hit list since they are linked with an import parameter of the search help. The values of parameters A and C can be returned to the screen from the hit list since these parameters are declared as export parameters of the search help.

Description of dialog behavior

A hit list might contain plentiful number of entries. A

dialog provides the user with an option to restrict the

entries displayed on the hit list.

In an input help process, the set of possible entries is presented in the dialog box as a list for displaying the hit list. The user selects the required value from this list by double clicking. Since the possible entries are often formal keys, you must be able to display further explanatory information about the possible entries in the list.

If the set of possible entries is very large, the user should be able to define additional conditions for the attributes of the selected entry. Restricting the set of data in this way both increases the clarity of the list and reduces the system load. Additional conditions can be entered in a further dialog window, the dialog box for restricting values.

Specifying the dialog type of a search help defines whether the dialog box for restricting values should be offered and if so under what conditions.

The attributes in the dialog box for displaying the hit list or in the dialog box for restricting values must be defined as internal parameters of the search help. An internal parameter can also be used in only one of the two dialog boxes. It can also belong to the search help interface.

The internal parameter types are also defined with data elements. These data elements define how the parameters are displayed in the two dialog boxes.

Re: Hi

dhruv_shah3 — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:25:29 GMT

Hi,

Search help is used for giving the user F4 Help.

Elementary Search help is used for only one search help.

Whereas Collective Search help is a collection of different Elementary Search help.

To access the Elementary in the Collective Search Help you can use the Hot Keys, for accessing it directly.

Use,

=Hot Key name defined while creating the Search Help.

E.g =H.B

will take to the B search help

HTH

Regards,

Dhruv Shah

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:29:06 GMT

search helps:

There are two types of search help:

Elementary search helps describe a search path. The elementary search help must define where the data of the hit list should be read from (selection method), how the exchange of values between the screen template and selection method is implemented (interface of the search help) and how the online input help should be defined (online behavior of the search help).

Collective search helps combine several elementary search helps. A collective search help thus can offer several alternative search paths.

An elementary search help defines the standard flow of an input help. You can define the following components of this flow in the search help:

where does the data displayed in the hit list come from (selection method)

what information should be displayed in the dialog box for value selection and in the hit list (search help parameters)

what field contents can be taken into account for hit list selections and which values in the hit list can be returned to the screen fields (search help parameters)

what dialog steps should be executed in the input help (dialog behavior)

A collective search help combines several elementary search helps. The user can thus choose one of several alternative search paths with a collective search help.

When you define a collective search help, you only have to specify the search helps that are to be combined in the collective search help. In the input help, the values are transported between the elementary search help selected by the user and the input template using the collective search help. This is why a collective search help also has an interface for transporting the values.

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:44:46 GMT

hi,

the input help (f4) is a standard function of r/3 system.the user can display the list of all possible input values for screen field with input values.

the possible input values can be enhanced with futher information

this is meaning full escpecially when input requires the input of formal key

Elementary search helps describe a search path. The elementary search

help must define where the data of the hit list should be read from (selection method),

how the exchange of values between the screen template and selection method is

implemented (interface of the search help) and how the online input help should be

defined (online behavior of the search help).

Collective search helps combine several elementary search helps. A

collective search help thus can offer several alternative search path

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:52:35 GMT

Hi,

WHY DO U NEED SEARCH HELP?

A number of requirements must be met for the input help of a screen field (search field):

Information (about the context) known to the system must be taken into consideration in the input help. This includes entries the user already made in the current input template as well as information obtained in previous dialog steps. Normally the input help uses the context to limit the set of possible values.

The input help must determine the values that can be offered to the user for selection. The data to be displayed as supplementary information in the list of possible values must also be determined. When the possible values are determined, the restrictions resulting from the context and from further search conditions specified by the user must also be taken into consideration.

The input help must hold a dialog with the user. This dialog always contains the presentation of the possible values (with supplementary information) in list form and the possibility to select a value from this list. A search template in which the user can define conditions for the values to be displayed is also sometimes required

If the user selects a value, the input help must return it to the search field. The input template often contains more fields (often only display fields) containing further explanatory information about the search field. The input help should also update the contents of these fields in this case.

The ABAP Dictionary object search help:

The ABAP Dictionary object search help is used to describe an input help. The definition of a search help contains the information the system needs to satisfy the described requirements.

The interface of the search help controls the data transfer from the input template to the F4 help and back. The interface defines the context data to be used and the data to be returned to the input template when a value is selected.

The internal behavior of the search help describes the F4 process itself. This includes the selection method with which the values to be displayed should be determined as well as the dialog behavior describing the interaction with the user.

As with a function module, search helps distinguish between the interface with which it exchanges data with other software components and the internal behavior (for function modules, the latter is defined by the source text).

It only makes sense to define a search help if there is a mechanism available with which the search help can be accessed from a screen. This mechanism is called the search help attachment and will be described later.

Like the editor for function modules, the editor for search helps also enables you to test an object. You can thus test the behavior of a search help without assigning it to a screen field.

regards,

vineela.

Re: Hi

Former Member — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:54:56 GMT

hi,

The ABAP Dictionary object search help is used to describe an input help. The definition of a search

help contains the information the system needs to satisfy the described requirements.

The interface of the search help controls the data transfer from the input template to the F4 help and

back. The interface defines the context data to be used and the data to be returned to the input template

when a value is selected.

The internal behavior of the search help describes the F4 process itself. This includes the selection

method with which the values to be displayed should be determined as well as the dialog behavior

describing the interaction with the user.

As with a function module, search helps distinguish between the interface with which it exchanges data

with other software components and the internal behavior (for function modules, the latter is defined by

the source text).

It only makes sense to define a search help if there is a mechanism available with which the search help

can be accessed from a screen. This mechanism is called the search help attachment and will be

described later.

Like the editor for function modules, the editor for search helps also enables you to test an object. You

can thus test the behavior of a search help without assigning it to a screen field.

The possible values displayed for a field by the input help are determined at runtime by a selection from

the database. When a search help is defined, you must define the database object from which the data

should be selected by specifying a table or a view as the selection method.

It makes sense to use a view as selection method if the data about the possible values that is relevant

for the input help is distributed on several tables. If this data is all in one table or in the corresponding

text table, you can use the table as a selection method. The system automatically ensures that the text

of the text table is used in the user's logon language.

If there is not yet a view that combines the data that is relevant for an input help, you must first create it

in the ABAP Dictionary.

Maintenance views may not be used as the selection method for search helps. Normally a database view is used. However, you should note that database views (in the R/3 System) are always created with an inner join. As a result, only those values having an entry in each of the tables involved are offered in the input help. Sometimes the values should be determined with an outer join. In this case you should choose a help view as the selection method. You can find more information about help views in the

appendix.

If the selection method of a search help is client-dependent, the possible values are only selected in the

user's logon client.

A search help describes the flow of an input help. The search help can only take effect using a

mechanism that assigns the search help to this field. This mechanism is called the search help

attachment to the field.

Attaching a search help to a field has an effect on the field's behavior. It is therefore considered to be

part of the field definition.

The semantic and technical attributes of a screen field (type, length, F1 help, ...) are not normally defined

directly when the input template is defined. On the contrary, only a reference to an ABAP Dictionary field

(usually with the same name) is specified in the Screen Painter. The screen field takes on the attributes

of this field from the ABAP Dictionary.

The same principle is also used to define the input help of a screen field. The search help is thus

attached to the ABAP Dictionary search field and not to the screen field.

In the search help attachment, the interface parameters of the search help and the screen fields

providing data for the input help or getting data from the input help are assigned to one another. The

search field must be assigned to an EXPORT parameter of the search help at this time. This parameter

should also be an IMPORT parameter so that the user can take advantage of search patterns that are

already entered.

Fields that do not have a search help attachment can also have an input help since further mechanisms

(e.g. domain fixed values) are also used for the F4 help.

In the relational data model, entities are usually represented by formal keys. In real life, however, these

entities are often identified by one or more of their attributes. For example, the key for a person is the

personnel number. A person will generally describe another with his name and possibly his address.

The attributes used to identify an entity can differ from one user to the next and from situation to

situation. A user wants to use these attributes in an input help to define a value for a field that requires

that a formal key be entered.

We therefore need search paths permitting access to the data using non-key fields. Several different

search paths should be possible for one field.

A search path for a field can be implemented with a search help having the form described above. To

describe an input help with more than one alternative search path, a set of search helps can be

combined into a new object in the R/3 System. Since this object is the description of the input help for a

field, it is also called a search help.

In contrast to the elementary search helps described above, the search helps that combine several

search paths are called collective search helps.

Collective search helps are sometimes used to map the distribution of the possible entries for a field into

several (disjunct) datasets.

Like an elementary search help, a collective search help has an interface of IMPORT and EXPORT

parameters with which it exchanges data. Using this interface, the collective search help can be attached

to fields, tables and data elements exactly like an elementary search help.

Only one search help can be attached to a field, table or data element. Several search paths are

therefore attached with a collective search help.

You can omit the components for describing the dialog behavior and data selection when you define a

collective search help. The included search helps are listed here. You must assign the parameters of the

collective search help to the interface parameters of the included search help for each inclusion.

A search help can also be included in several collective search helps and at the same time itself be

attached to fields, tables and data elements. A collective search help can also be included in another

collective search help.

When you use a collective search help, you are offered the elementary search helps contained in the

collective search help as parallel tab pages. If you repeatedly use a collective search help, the tab page

that was last used is automatically active. This is because most users always use the same search

path.

Hope this helps, Do reward.