Search help

Search Help
1. Elementary Search Help.
2.Collective Search Help.

1. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 1

In this tutorial I am going to create Search Help. Let’s us know some points
about search help.
Search helps are objects that you can use to assign input help (F4 Help) to
screen fields. You can do this by creating a search help in the ABAP
Dictionary and attaching it to the corresponding screen field.
Furthermore Search Help (F4) must never be confused with F1 help as F1
help is used for maintaining documentation for the input/output field.
Taking all these into consideration following points must be noted: -
 Search Help is always associated and attached to a specifiic fiield.
 There are two kinds of Search Help as follows:
(i).Elementary Search Help. (ii) Collective Search Help.
Now Let’s start creating a Search Help with both the Techniques.
 Creating Search Help Elementary Search Help : It’s useful when only
search help is needed to be assigned to only one field.
 Let’s create an Elementary Search Help First as follows:


Note.
Selection Method is generally a database table in which values are already
maintained for corresponding fields. If the data needed in the hit list comes
from more than one table, you must link these tables with a view (database
view or help view). You must define this view as the selection method.

2. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 2


If the underlying tables are client-specific, the client field must be
contained in the view. Otherwise the selection for the input help would be
for all clients.

3. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 3


Now again Observe the difference:

4. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 4


[A.]


Note: SPos:
Used to further restrict the select options (Last Name and First Name) if
you change it to 1 only Last Name or First Name would be visible
depending on which field you want to display. Here Last Name (NCHMC)
comes first (SPOS =1) followed by VNAMC (SPOS =2)

IMP - Import values from the screen/field to the search help.
EXP - Export value back to the input field(s).
LPOS - Position on the output list the user selects from.



SPOS - Position on the selection screen if your search help to have select
options which the user can enter to restrict further the search help value
list by.
Default - Add a default value the field is populated with.

5. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 5

[B.]


Dialog Type:
You use the dialog type of an elementary search help to define how the hit
list is displayed when the input help is called.
You can specify one of the following dialog types for an elementary search
help:
● Display Values Immediately:
The hit list is immediately displayed when the input help is called. This
is rational only if the hit list contains a few entries.

● Dialog with Value Restriction:
The dialog window for restricting values is offered immediately. Choose
this option if the list of possible entries is large. If the user limits the
amount of data to be processed, the hit list becomes more
comprehensible and the system load during value selection is reduced.

6. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 6



● Dialog depends on set of values:
If the hit list contains less than 100 entries, it is displayed immediately.
If the hit list contains more than 100 entries, the system displays the
dialog box for restricting values.

[Ref:
https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nwpi71/helpdata/en/cf/21ee6c446011d18970
0000e8322d00/content.htm ]

Hot Key:
You use the hot key to select the elementa ry search help from the
collective search help and to enter the restrictions in the dialog box for
restricting values directly from the entry field. If the user frequently
searches for values using the same search help, this procedure can save
time.
The hot key is available only if for the relevant screen field there is an entry
in the Search help attribute in the Screen Painter, that is, if this attribute
is not initial. Two types of entries are possible:
 If a search help is attached directly to the screen field, its name appears
in the Search help attribute. Thus the hot key is available for the screen
field.
 If a search help is attached to the screen field using a reference of the
field to the Dictionary, in the Search help attribute '=' must be specified
to make the hot key available for this field.

The short cut must be entered in the input field according to the following
convention:
=<Hot key>.S1.S2.S3....
S1, S2, S3 and so on are the restrictions that would be entered in the
corresponding dialog box in this order.

7. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 7





[
https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw74/helpdata/en/cf/21ee79446011d1897000
00e8322d00/content.htm ]


Search Help Exit:
It is a function module with special parameters. In SE37, create the
function module Z_PS_F4_EXIT_MATNR or any other function module. Thus
Search Help takes all the values from Function Module. It is necessary to
add the following parameters. Otherwise the search help could not be
activated.




Congratulations!! You have Created Elementary Search Help!

8. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 8

Collective Search Help:-
It comprises many elementary search help.
Creating Collective Search Help:




Note: In collective Search Help there is no Selection Method that means
you can enter many Search Help Parameter associated with Data Element
and many Included Search Help Parameters also. That’s why it is known as
Collective Search Help.


Save, Check and Activate.


Select ZSHELP row Click on Param. Assignment.

9. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 9








Congratulations!! You have created Collective Search Help!!

Enjoy SAP ABAP

Thanks & Regards
Harshul Phadke

10. SAP ABAP Tutorial 4—Search Help in Data Dictionary (DDIC)


TRAINER NAME: HARSHUL PHADKE EMAIL.ID:[email protected] 10