Difference between Matchcode and Search help??

[Former Member]

Hi friends,

Can nyone give me the difference between matchcode and search help ???

I still see both are used even now ????

Expecting your answers

thanks in advance

Cheers,

R.Kripa

[Former Member]

Match codes are being replaced with Search help in the latest version. From a functionlality aspect nothing much is changing, its just the terminology.

Regards,

Ravi

Note :Please mark the helpful answers

[ferry_lianto]

Hi Kripa,

A Search help is a ABAP Dictionary object used to define possible values (F4) help. There are two kinds of search help - elementary and collective.

- An elementary search help uses a search path to determine the possible entries.

- A collective search help consists of two or more

elementary search helps, and thus provides more than one possible search path.

Matchcode object is used to call a particular search help and given along wirth the declaration of any parameters or select-options.

In older versions, search helps were called as matchcode object. Now they are obsolete and search helps have come in place of them.

But still when we want to assign f4 help, we use Mactcode ID with parameters and select-options,

following the syntax which is not changed.

Hope this will help.

Regards,

Ferry Lianto

Please reward points if helpful.

[Former Member]

Matchcodes were replaced with Search Helps starting with Release 4.0. Please use search helps to assign an input help to a field.

Existing matchcodes were automatically converted to search helps. A matchcode object is hereby converted to a collective search help with the same name. Each matchcode ID of the matchcode object is converted into an elementary search help with the same name and assigned to the collective search help created from the matchcode object.

A matchcode is a means of finding data records stored in the system. The matchcode is defined in the ABAP Dictionary in two steps:

You first define the relevant tables and fields for the search in a matchcode object. A matchcode object describes the set of all possible search paths for a search string.

You then create one or more matchcode IDs for a matchcode object. A matchcode ID describes a special search path for a search string. The matchcode ID defines the fields or field combinations to be used in the search.

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Search Help

Use

With this function you can search for objects, thereby defining and linking different selection conditions for the search help.

Prerequisites

You can call this function by:

· Selecting Object ® Search... () in the main menu bar of the Integration Builder

· Placing the cursor on a software component version and selecting Search... () in the context menu (only in the Integration Repository)

In this case the software component version is defined as the search criteria.

Features

Defining the Object Type

You can select the object type in a dropdown list in field Object Type.

In the design (Integration Repository) you can

· Select an object type (for example Message Interface)

· Select a cross-object category (for example Interface Objects)

In the configuration (Integration Directory) you can select types Values Mapping Group and schema in addition to the individual object types.

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CHECK THIS LINK TO CREATE A SEARCH HELP.

http://www.sapdevelopment.co.uk/dictionary/shelp/shelp_basic.htm

CHECK THIS LINK TO CREATE A MATCHCODE OBJECT

http://searchsap.techtarget.com/tip/1,289483,sid21_gci553386,00.html

more details...

[Former Member]

Hi Kripa,

I think this is the reason...

Matchcode is used to search for the details of something using a field which may not be the key values...For eg:

Suppose that I want to get the details of an employees...I don't remember all the employee numbers, but I know the employee names(which may not be a key value)... So searching for details using values which are not the key fields, you can use matchcode..

But in search helps, you can use any field for searching for values..

Regards,

SP.

[Former Member]

Hi Kripa,

MATCH CODES are the older versions of SEARCH HELP.

technically there is no difference at all.

in older versions, search help were called as match codes

A search help is a ABAP Dictionary object used to define possible values (F4) help

PARAMETERS ..<name>..MATCHCODE OBJECT <name of search help>.

The system now will

automatically display the input help button for the field on the screen and activates the F4 key

for it...

while declaring parameters and select-options

parameter p type i MATCH-CODE OBJECT (something).

The above type of declaration only is still used to assign a field to a search help.

MATCH CODE OBJECT is used to call a particular search help and given along wirth the declaration of any parameters or select-options

Thanks,

Susmitha