How to debug a modal dialog

[corrine_guan]

As introduced in http://scn.sap.com/community/crm/webclient-ui-framework/blog/2015/12/26/logic-for-f4-help--1, F4 input help shows help values in a modal dialog. Without special tools, It is not possible to set breakpoint and make JS debug from this popped up modal dialog. In this document, I will show you how to debug using a workaround.

 

1. Firstly, we need to get the URL link for requesting help values: make a httpwatch trace when clicking F4 help icon.


2. From the httpwatch trace, find the line for 'CRM_THTMLB_UTIL/f4_help2.do' request. Right click and select menu 'Copy https://....'.
   


3. Paste the url into another IE tab and Enter, a help values will be shown as a normal page.
   


4. Click F12, Developer tool will be launched. We can search 'thtmlbF4PickRow' and set a JS breakpoint.
   


5. Then select any entry, the JS bk will stop.
   


6. If I select the 2nd entry, it will go into function dynshlp_sel_2.
   


7. Inside function SetInput, thtmlbF4SetInput is called. Notice the callstack and the values for SelValue and keyInputfieldId.
   


8. In function thtmlbF4SetInput, win is 'undefined'. This is because this value help screen has no parent window.
   


9. In order to get through more codes, we make a change for 'win' manually -- input any string to make 'win' a defined object.
   


10. Here is the farthest place where we can debug. We cannot debug further because our 'win' is just a string object instead of a window object. But from here we can see 'visible' is object for 'C35_W162_V163_marketing_classific_text' which is the 'rating description' input field.
    


11. This is the place to set value.