Input help for a selection screen field.

[Former Member]

   Hi Experts,

I have a selection screen and its having some input fields. So My question is for this input field we set the f4 functionality.For that list of input values we can do it in domain level means we can give some values in domain by fixed value in value range tab or by value tables.So that when we press f4 on field it will fetch data from domain level.

Then why SAP provides search help concept for the search help which we can do in domain level.

Please clarify my doubt ?

Kind Regards,

Ajit Sarangi

[Ajit_K_Panda]

Hi Ajit,

The reason can be found in the following question:

What if the list of input values is the content of a table ??

You can not mantain the values of table is the values of domain.

Regards,

Ajit

[former_member776318]

Hi Ajit,

Additional to what Ajit Panda has described the reason for existence of search helps, check this SAP documentation that describes the different possible alternative of assigning input helps to fields on the screen.

Assignment of Search Helps to Screen Fields

Also, check this link further that describes the hierarchy of search help calls, when a single field might have more than one help attached to it.

HTH.

Saurabh

[Former Member]

Hi Ajit,

You mean the reason why we have a search help functionality for a screen field?

If we do not want all the values in the domain, or want to do some modifications on the values allowed for that particular screen field, we need to build in additional code for search help for that field. Sometimes. the values that can be inputted may have to be fetched from another table rather than the one used by SAP standard search help. Here also we need to put in our own search help feature.

What is checked first is the search help provided in our program. Only if its not provided does the system check the other defined areas for search help. The domain values are fetched only in the end if nothing else is defined. This provides flexibility to the search help available for a field.

When you call the input help for a screen field, the system checks first of all if an input help is defined for the field on the screen. Three cases are possible here. If there is a programmed help with PROCESS ON VALUE-REQUEST, it is executed. If there is no programmed help, the system tries to call the search help assigned to the field on the screen. If no search help is assigned to the field on the screen, the help defined with FIELD  SELECT or FIELD  VALUES is offered.

If no input help is defined for the field on the screen, the system tries to call the search help attached to the table field. If there is no search help here, it tries to display the check table help. There are two cases here. If a search help is attached to the check table, it is displayed. Otherwise, only the key values of the check table are displayed. If there is a text table for the check table, the system adds the text for the key value in the user’s logon language.

  If there is no check table for the field, the system tries to call the search help from the data element. If there is no search help for the data element either, existing domain fixed values are displayed.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/0b/32e9b798da11d295b800a0c929b3c3/content.htm?frameset=...

[former_member188827]

In addition to what other members have already described:

Domain values will simply list possible values that are stored. However,search helps provide additional options.For example if you have a look at material field in MM03, search help(collective search help) associated with it allow you search materials on basis of description,on basis of old material number,etc., thus making it easy to search on basis of specific criteria.

Regards

[Former Member]

Thank you all for these great answers.

Regards,

Ajit