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Overview of Search Helps

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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

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The Benefits of Search Helps

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

What was Smith’s

vendor number,
anyway?

F4

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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)

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Using Search Helps

To see a list of customers

starting with ‘S’

Key fields are

1 indicated by
different color

4
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Creating an Elementary Search Help

Create search help from Dictionary pushbutton on

workbench, or from within Repository Browser.

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Defining an Elementary Search Help

Data source for

hit list

List Display
method

Optional Exit

Used to identify
search help

Interface
Parameters

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Defining an Elementary Search Help – Interface Parameters

Parameters for values you Parameter is display only

want to send and receive

Declaration of parameters Data element associated

as import and/or export with parameter

Position parameter Position parameter will Optional default

will be on hit list be on dialog box for parameter

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Assigning an Elementary Search Help - Priority Levels

Field
Table

Data Element

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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

Don’t forget to assign parameters

for each elementary search help.

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Using a Collective Search Help

Only Difference
from before –
toggle button
F4 elementary search
help

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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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