Hi
Search helps
Standard search help
Types of search helps
Concept of search help
Search Help Interface
Dialog behavior of search helps
Selection method for search helps
Performance of search helps
Attaching search helps
Hierarchy of search helps
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.
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.
creation of Elementary Search Help
Enter the search help name and click on create.
Choose elementary search help radio button option as the search help type.
Enter the search help parameters, the selection method and activate the search help.
Collective Search Help
Enter the search help name and click on create.
Choose Collective search help radio button option as the search help type.
Enter the search help parameters.
Note that there is no selection method to be entered for a collective search help.
Instead of the selection method, we enter the included
search helps for the collective search help.
We need to assign parameters for each of the included
search helps.
Complete the parameter assignment by clicking on the push button
Collective search help offers the user to obtain F4 help
using any of the included search helps.
Reward if usefull
Bluesky
