Documentation Types (SAP Library - BC Documentation of System Objects)

Documentation Types

To allow customers to create both their own documentation and to modify SAP originals, the following documentation types are distinguished:

Original

documentation created by SAP has the type "original". If you write documentation development objects of your own, these are also considered as originals.

Modification

If you want to write documentation on objects for which SAP originals already exist or which have been marked as "not for documentation" you can create the document type "modification". In the help display this document is superimposed on the original document without technically deleting it.

In cases where SAP objects were delivered without documentation or were not marked as "not requiring documentation", the customer documentation is stored as an "original" document type. Keep in mind, that your documentation can be overwritten by a Release upgrade, if SAP delivers subsequent documentation.

When you create a modification you have three options:

You can write a completely new, independent text.
You can copy in the original text and add to it.
You can integrate the original as an INCLUDE and add to it.

A further distinction is made between the following types of documentation:

End user documentation

These are help texts that are required for working with applications:

Input/output fields
Messages
ABAP/4 syntax documentation
Release Notes
and so on.

Technical documentation

These are help texts that describe ABAP/4 Development Workbench objects required for developing programs:

Domains
Function modules
Corrections
and so on.

The following four types of documentation exist:

Original - end user

Original - technical documentation

Modification - end user

Modification - technical documentation