The possible values displayed for a field by the input help are determined at runtime by a selection from the database. When a search help is defined, you must define the database object from which the data should be selected by specifying a table or a view as the selection method.
It makes sense to use a view as selection method if the data about the possible values that is relevant for the input help is distributed on several tables. If this data is all in one table or in the corresponding text table, you can use the table as a selection method. The system automatically ensures that the text of the text table is used in the user's logon language.
If there is not yet a view that combines the data that is relevant for an input help, you must first create it in the ABAP Dictionary.
Maintenance views may not be used as the selection method for search helps. Normally a database view is used. However, you should note that database views (in the R/3 System) are always created with an inner join. As a result, only those values having an entry in each of the tables involved are offered in the input help. Sometimes the values should be determined with an outer join.
If the selection method of a search help is client-dependent, the possible values are only selected in the user's logon client.
DESCRIPTION OF DIALOG BEHAVIOR:
The possible values are presented in the dialog box for displaying the hit list and the user can select values from here. If the possible values are formal keys, further information should also be displayed.
If the hit list is very large, the user should be able to define further restrictions for the attributes of the entry. Restricting the set of data in this way both increases the clarity of the list and reduces the system load. Additional conditions can be entered in a further dialog window, the dialog box for restricting values.
The dialog type of a search help defines whether the dialog box for restricting values should be displayed before determining the hit list.
You must define the characteristics to appear on either (or both) of the dialog boxes as parameters in the search help. You can use all the fields of the selection method (with the exception of the client field) and the non-key fields of your text table as parameters.
You define which parameter should appear in which dialog box (in what order) by assigning the parameters positions in the two dialog boxes. You can thus use different parameters (or different orders) in the two dialog boxes.
Types must be defined for search help parameters with data elements. These define the display in the two dialog boxes. If nothing else is defined, a parameter uses the data element of the corresponding field of the selection method.
INTERFACE OF SEARCH HELP:
When you define a parameter of a search help, you must also define whether it should be used to copy data to the input help (IMPORT parameter) or whether to return data from the input help (EXPORT parameter).
The IMPORT and EXPORT parameters of a search help together make up your interface. (This is also analogous to function modules.)
You can also define interface parameters that do not appear in either the dialog box for displaying the hit list or the dialog box for restricting values. This is useful for example when screen fields that do not appear on either of the two dialog boxes are to be updated when you select a value.
The location from which the IMPORT parameters of a search help get their values and the screen fields in which the contents of the EXPORT parameters of the search help are returned are defined in the search help attachment.
The search field is a special case. Its contents are only used in the input help if it is a search string (that is, if it contains a ´*´ or a ´+´) and the parameter linked with the search field is an IMPORT parameter.
Parameters that only contain additional information about the search field should not be defined as IMPORT parameters since the user must otherwise empty the corresponding screen fields each time before he can define a new value with the input help.
HOW TO USE SEARCH HELP?
A search help describes the flow of an input help. The search help can only take effect using a mechanism that assigns the search help to this field. This mechanism is called the search help attachment to the field.
Attaching a search help to a field has an effect on the field's behavior. It is therefore considered to be part of the field definition.
The semantic and technical attributes of a screen field (type, length, F1 help, ...) are not normally defined directly when the input template is defined. On the contrary, only a reference to an ABAP Dictionary field (usually with the same name) is specified in the Screen Painter. The screen field takes on the attributes of this field from the ABAP Dictionary.
The same principle is also used to define the input help of a screen field. The search help is thus attached to the ABAP Dictionary search field and not to the screen field.
In the search help attachment, the interface parameters of the search help and the screen fields providing data for the input help or getting data from the input help are assigned to one another. The search field must be assigned to an EXPORT parameter of the search help at this time. This parameter should also be an IMPORT parameter so that the user can take advantage of search patterns that are already entered.
Fields that do not have a search help attachment can also have an input help since further mechanisms (e.g. domain fixed values) are also used for the F4 help.
SEARCH HELP ATTACHMENT IN ABAP DICTIONARY:
There are three mechanisms for attaching a search help to a field of the ABAP Dictionary.
A search help can be attached directly to a field of a structure or table. The definition of this attachment is analogous to that of a foreign key. You have to define an assignment (between the interface parameters of the search help and the fields of the structure) for which the system makes a proposal.
If a field has a check table, its contents are automatically offered as possible values in the input help. The key fields of the check table are displayed. If a check table has a text table, its first character-like non-key field is displayed.
If you are not satisfied with the described standard display of the data of the check table, you can attach a search help to the check table. This search help is used for all the fields that have this table as check table. You have to define an assignment between the interface of the search help and the key of the check table when you define the attachment.
The semantics of a field and its possible values are defined by its data element. You can therefore attach a search help to a data element. The search help is then available for all the fields that refer to this data element. In the attachment you must define an EXPORT parameter of the search help for the data transfer.
Attaching a search help to a check table (or a data element) can result in a high degree of reusability. However, there are restrictions on passing further values via the interface of the search help.
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