Overview of Search Helps

Objectives
The participants will be able to: Explain the benefits of Search Helps

Describe Elementary Search Helps

Explain Collective Search Helps Explain Search Help Exits

The Benefits of Search Helps

Search helps are dictionary objects that we develop to compile a set of valid values for users.

What was Smiths vendor number, anyway?

F4

Elementary vs. Collective

Used to see the full list of Elementary Search Helps

F4
Used to scroll the tabs for Elementary Search Helps Individual Elementary Search Helps that make up the Collective Search Help

Collective Search Help : DEBI (It is called when you hit F4 on the Customer Number field e.g. transaction XD01)

Using Search Helps

To see a list of customers starting with S Key fields are indicated by different color

Creating an Elementary Search Help

1 5 2 3

Create search help from Dictionary pushbutton on workbench, or from within Repository Browser.

Defining an Elementary Search Help

Data source for hit list List Display method

Optional Exit
Used to identify search help

Interface Parameters

Defining an Elementary Search Help Interface Parameters

Parameters for values you want to send and receive

Parameter is display only

Declaration of parameters as import and/or export

Data element associated with parameter

Position parameter will be on hit list

Position parameter will be on dialog box

Optional default for parameter

Assigning an Elementary Search Help - Priority Levels

Field

Table

Data Element

Using Elementary Search Helps

F4

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Demonstration
Creation of an elementary Search-Help for different employee types (regular, contractor, etc) in an organization and attach it to the employee table created for the previous exercises.

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Practice
Creation of an elementary Search-Help for different employee types (regular, contractor, etc) in an organization and attach it to the employee table created for the previous exercises.

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Defining a Collective Search Help - Interface

Notice there is no selection method. A collective search help is a set of one or more elementary search helps.

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Defining a Collective Search Help -Adding Elementary Search Helps

Dont forget to assign parameters for each elementary search help.

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Using a Collective Search Help

Only Difference from before toggle button elementary search help

F4

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Demonstration
Creation of a Collective Search-Help.

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Practice
Creation of a Collective Search-Help.

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Search Help Exits

A search help exit is a function module. Basically, it is extra code that can be included in the processing of the search help at specific times

Function Module with ABAP code

Search Help Processing

_________ ______ _______ ______ _____ _____

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Summary
Search helps are dictionary objects that we develop to compile a set of valid values for users. An elementary search help is exactly one combination of fields that will be used to determine the needed value. A collective search help is a combination of elementary search helps. When the user hits F4, the system checks to see if there is a search help attached to the field, search help attached to the table is the second type of search help that is checked for, if one is not found, the system checks if a search help is attached to the data element. If one is not found, the system does not use a search help, but will check the domain for valid values. If none exist, then no help is provided. A search help exit is a function module. Basically, it is extra code that can be included in the processing of the search help at specific times

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Questions
What is a search help ? What is the difference between an elementary search help and a collective search help? What is a search help exit ?

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Thank You!