The behavior of an elementary search help is defined by:

• the selection method of the search help

• the parameters of the search help

• the online behavior of the search help

The selection method describes how the data of the hit list is read. There are three different ways to collect data:

• Table: If all the data needed in the hit list comes from one single table, you only have to define this table.

• View: 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). This view must be defined as the method for collecting data.

If a field of the selection method should be used during data collection, a parameter with the same name must be included in the search help. This is necessary for fields

• which are needed to restrict the hit list,

• which should be displayed in the hit list as a column,

• whose value should be copied back to the screen field.

• Import parameter: Parameter with which context information from the module pool of the processed input mask (screen) can be brought into the help process.

• Export parameter: Parameter with which values from the hit list can be returned to the input mask.

A search help can also contain parameters which are neither import nor export parameters. Such parameters could be required for the internal input help process, for example.

You can define the dialog box to restrict the value selection here. You can also define how the hit list should be displayed.