SAP ABAP MATCH CODE OBJECTS

Dialog type


The dialog type defines the dialog steps executed for an input help.

There are the following dialog types:

Immediate value display: The hit list is displayed immediately after the input help has been called. This option is advisable if the hit list usually contains only a few entries.

Complex dialog with value restriction: The dialog box for restricting values is displayed immediately. Select this option if the list of possible entries is normally very large. Restricting the set of data to be processed increases the clarity of the hit list and reduces the system load during value selection.

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

SELECTION METHOD

Selection method of an elementary search help

The possible entries for a field displayed in the hit list are determined at runtime by selection from the database. The selection method describes the database object from which the data is read. A database table or view can be defined as selection method.

To use a field of the selection method in the input help (as field in the dialog box for restricting values, as column in the hit list or as value returned to the screen), a parameter with the same name must be inserted in the search help.

HOTKEYS

Hot key for a search help

The hot key permits the user to select an elementary search help from the collective search help directly in the input field with the short notation. The restrictions can also be entered directly in the dialog box for restricting values.

Letters and digits are allowed as hot key.

With the short cut, the user can select an elementary search help of a collective search help and fill in the fields of the dialog box for restricting values directly in the input field. This can save time if the user frequently looks for values using the same search help.

The short cut must be entered in the input field according to the following convention:
=HK.S1.S2.S3 etc.

where HK is the hot key of the elementary search help and S1, S2, S3, etc. are the restrictions that are entered in this order in the corresponding dialog box. Each entry is considered to be a pattern with a terminating '*'. Restrictions for fields for which no entry could be
made in the dialog box are ignored.

The hot key need not be entered if only one elementary search help is assigned to the field or if the elementary search help stored as the standard search help should be used. If S1 consists of more than one character, the first separator '.' can also be omitted.

If the hot key is entered without restrictions (=HK), the dialog box for restricting values appears. If restrictions are defined, the dialog box for restricting values does not appear and the hit list is displayed directly. If exactly one hit is found, the hit list is not displayed.

The values of the hits that are found are returned directly to the screen in this case.

SEARCH HELP


There are the following types of search helps:

Elementary search helps implement a search path for determining t possible entries.

Collective search helps contain several elementary search helps.
collective search help therefore provides several alternative sea paths for possible entries.

Append search helps can be used to enhance collective search help delivered by SAP with customer-specific search paths without requiring a modification.

The three components of the input help process described by a search help are the outer interface, the online behavior and the method of d collection.

The outer interface is defined by specifying the interface parameters They define the context information to be used in the input help proc and the attributes to be sent to the screen by the input help.

The search help attachment defines the field contents for parametr an import parameter and the fields of the input template in which the contents of the export parameters should be returned.

ELEMENTARY SEARCH HELP.

An elementary search help is a search help that describes an input help process in which it is not possible to select one of a number of search paths.

The online behavior of an elementary search help is controlled by defining the dialog type and by specifying the fields to be displayed in the dialog box for restricting values or in the dialog box for
displaying the hit list (including the order in these dialog boxes).

These fields must be defined as parameters of the search help.

For data collection, a database table or a view is normally defined and the possible values are selected here. This table/view is called the selection method of the search help. If the selection method is a table, a text table can also be used for collecting data if one exists. In the
selection, those fieds of the selection method (and possibly of the text table) which have parameters with the same names in the search help are used.

If the standard options for describing the online behavior or data collection for the search help are not sufficient, you can define its behavior more flexibly by using a search help exit.

SEARCH HELP ATTACHMENT

A search help attachment is an assignment of a search help to a table, structure or data element, causing the corresponding search help to be automatically used to describe the input help process at this field when an ABAP Dictionary field is used in a screen.

You can attach a search help as follows:

1. Attach a search help to a structure or table field: The attached search help is available for all screen fields that refer to the table or structure field. There must be an assignment between the
interface parameters of the search help and the fields of the table or structure for this type of attachment. In the input help process, this assignment results in a value transport between the
corresponding fields (if they are known at least to the module pool of the screen) and the search help parameters. As for the foreign key definition, you can assign nothing, a constant or any other field (which is then sought in the module pool) to indivdiual search help parameters.

2. Attach a search help to a table: The assigned search help is available for all screen fields for which the table is a check table. There must also be an assignment between the search help
parameters and the key fields of the table for this type of assignment.

SEARCH HELP INCLUSION

The search help inclusion is the mechanism with which the alternative search paths defining the behavior can be assigned to a collective search help.
In a search help inclusion, any other search help can be assigned to the including collective search help. Normally the included search help will be an elementary search help. In this case the search path implemented by this search help will become one of the alternative search paths of the including search help. If the included search help is also a collective search help itself, all the elementary search helps contained in this collective search help will become alternative search paths of the including collective search help. In such a multi-level inclusion,
however, you must note the following special features.

Passing on the context information and returning the selected attributes on the screen is described by the assignment made between the parameters of the including search help and the interface parameters of the included search help.

The search help inclusion is a part of the definition of the including search help. A search help can be included in any number of search helps.

Note: An append search help is automatically included in its appending

SEARCH HELP EXIT
A search help exit is a function module for making the input help process described by the search help more flexible than possible with the standard version.

This function module must have the same interface as function module F4IF_SHLP_EXIT_EXAMPLE. The search help exit may also have further optional parameters (in particular any EXPORTING parameters).
The type group SHLP must also be declared in the global data of the search help exit.

A search help exit is called at certain timepoints in the input help process.

Note: The source text and long documentation of the above-specified function module (including the long documentation about the parameters) contain information about using search help exits.

Function modules are provided in the function library for operations that are frequently executed in search help exits. The names of these function modules begin with the prefix F4UT_. These function modules can either be used directly as search help exits or used within other search help exits. You can find precise instructions for use in the long
documentation for the corresponding function module.

TIMEPOINTS

During the input help process, a number of timepoints are defined that each define the beginning of an important operation of the input help process.

If the input help process is defined with a search help having a search help exit, this search help exit is called at each of these timepoints. If required, the search help exit can also influence the process and even determine that the process should be continued at a different timepoint.

The following timepoints are defined:
1. SELONE

Call before selecting an elementary search help. The possible elementary search helps are already in SHLP_TAB. This timepoint can be used in a search help exit of a collective search help to restrict the selection possibilities for the elementary search helps.

Entries that are deleted from SHLP_TAB in this step are not offered in the elementary search help selection. If there is only one entry remaining in SHLP_TAB, the dialog box for selecting elementary search helps is skipped. You may not change the next timepoint.

The timepoint is not accessed again if another elementary search help is to be selected during the dialog.

2. PRESEL1

After selecting an elementary search help. Table INTERFACE has not yet been copied to table SELOPT at this timepoint in the definition of the search help (type SHLP_DESCR_T). This means that you can still influence the attachment of the search help to the screen here. (Table INTERFACE contains the information about how the search help parameters are related to the screen fields).

3. PRESEL

Before sending the dialog box for restricting values. This timepoint is suitable for predefining the value restriction or for completely suppressing or copying the dialog.

4. SELECT

Before selecting the values. If you do not want the default selection, you should copy this timepoint with a search help exit. DISP should be set as the next timepoint.

5. DISP

Before displaying the hit list. This timepoint is suitable for restricting the values to be displayed, e.g. depending on authorizations.

6. RETURN (usually as return value for the next timepoint)

The RETURN timepoint should be returned as the next step if a single hit was selected in a search help exit.

It can make sense to change the F4 flow at this timepoint if control of the process sequence of the Transaction should depend on the selected value (typical example: setting SET/GET parameters). However, you should note that the process will then depend on whether a value was entered manually or with an input help.

7. RETTOP

You only go to this timepoint if the input help is controlled by a collective search help. It directly follows the timepoint RETURN. The search help exit of the collective search help, however, is called at timepoint RETTOP.

8. EXIT (only for return as next timepoint)

The EXIT timepoint should be returned as the next step if the user had the opportunity to terminate the dialog within the search help exit.

9. CREATE

The CREATE timepoint is only accessed if the user selects the function "Create new values". This function is only available if field CUSTTAB of the control string CALLCONTROL was given a value not equal to SPACE earlier on.

The name of the (customizing) table to be maintained is normally entered there. The next step returned after CREATE should be SELECT so that the newly entered value can be selected and then displayed.

10. APP1, APP2, APP3

If further pushbuttons are introduced in the hit list with function module F4UT_LIST_EXIT, these timepoints are introduced. They are accessed when the user presses the corresponding pushbutton.

Note: If the F4 help is controlled by a collective search help, the search help exit of the collective search help is called at timepoints SELONE and RETTOP. (RETTOP only if the user selects a value.) At all other timepoints the search help exit of the selected elementary search
help is called.
If the F4 help is controlled by an elementary search help, timepoint RETTOP is not executed. The search help exit of the elementary search help is called at timepoint SELONE (at the moment). This search help exit should not do anything at this timepoint. Any preparatory work
should be carried out at timepoint PRESEL1.

FUNTIONALITY
This module has been created as an example for the interface and design of Search help exits in Search help.

All the interface parameters defined here are mandatory for a function module to be used as a search help exit, because the calling program does not know which parameters are actually used internally.

A search help exit is called repeatedly in connection with several events during the F4 process. The relevant step of the process is passed on in the CALLCONTROL step. If the module is intended to perform only a few modifications before the step, CALLCONTROL-STEP should remain unchanged.

However, if the step is performed completely by the module, the following step must be returned in CALLCONTROL-STEP.
For more detailed information please refer to the documentation describing the concept of the search help exit.

The module must react with an immediate EXIT to all steps that it does not know or does not want to handle.

TEXT TABLE
Table A is the text table of table B if the key of A comprises the key of B and an additional language key field (field with data type LANG).
Table A can therefore contain explanatory text in several languages for each key entry of B.

To link the key entries with the text, text table A must be linked with table B using a foreign key. Key fields of a text table must be selected for the type of foreign key fields.

Only one text table can be created for a table. When it is activated, the system checks whether another table already has a text foreign key for the specified table.

If a text table exists, it is used at different places in the system to show the text for the key entries in the logon language of the user automatically.

If for example table B is the check table of a field, the existing key entries of table B are displayed as possible input values when F4 is pressed. The explanatory text is also shown in the logon language of the user for each key value.

NAME OF SEARCH HELP PARAMETER

The parameters of a search help define the context data to be used in the input help and the data that can be returned to the input template.
There must be a parameter of the search help corresponding to each field in the dialog box for restricting values and to each field in the hit list.

The parameters of an elementary search help correspond to fields of the selection method. They can copy the necessary fields of the selection method to this field as search help parameters with the input help.

In exceptions, parameters that do not correspond to any field of the selection method must be inserted. This can be necessary if the search help uses a search help exit that needs additional parameters.

Note: The search help may not contain any parameter for the client. The input help automatically selects the user's logon client.

VARIENTS

Variant name
Name of the variant you want to edit.

Procedure

Enter a variant name.

If you want to change an existing variant, you can display a list of all variants by selecting Environment -> Directory. From this list, you can choose a variant for editing.

Dependencies

For background requests, a report must have at least one variant.

Variant values/attributes

A variant consists of two parts:

1.) The values entered on the selection screen

2.) The attribues and display attributes of the parameters and select-options.

VIEW

Name of an SAP table view, 16 characters

A view is a logical view on one or more tables, that is, a view is not actually physically stored, instead being derived from one or more other tables.

In the simplest case, this derivation process can involve simply suppressing the display of one or more fields from a table (projection) or transferring only certain records from a table to the view
(selection). More complicated views can be assembled from several tables, with individual tables being linked using the relational join operation.

Use

Logical views for the application permitting direct access to the data can be generated with the definition of view. The structure of such a view is defined by specifying the tables and fields involved in the view.

LOCK OBJECTS
A lock object is a virtual link of several SAP tables which is used to synchronize simultaneous access by two users to the same set of data (SAP lock concept).

Locks are requested and released in the programming of online transactions by calling certain function modules which are automatically generated from the definition of the lock objects. These lock objects must be explicitly created in the ABAP Dictionary.

To set locks, you must perform the following steps:

1. You must define a lock object in the ABAP Dictionary. The name of
the lock object should begin with E.

2. The function modules for requesting and releasing locks which are created automatically when the lock object is activated must be linked to the programming of the relevant online transactions.