Technical Details on Correction
Instructions 
You can find information about the following topics here:
· The format of correction instructions
· The validity of correction instructions
· Prerequisites for correction instructions
· Objects that can be changed using correction instructions.
Format
Correction instructions describe the changes that must be made to repository objects in the ABAP Workbench and particularly the source code of ABAP programs to correct errors.
Changes to the Source Code
Each change specifies the object (include, function module, and so on) and the modularization unit (FORM routine, for example). To identify the code that needs to be changed, a unique number of preceding unchanged lines is specified (context block). These are followed by the lines that need to be deleted (delete block) and then the new lines (insert block).
Correction instructions can consist of multiple context, delete and insert blocks.
When the system implements correction instructions automatically, it searches for the context blocks in the function module or include, checks whether the delete blocks follow and then replaces them with the insert block.
If the function module or include has been modified by the customer, the system sometimes cannot find the context blocks or delete blocks specified in the correction instructions, and it cannot implement all the corrections. If this is the case, you can use the split-screen editor to adjust the corrections from the SAP Note to your modifications.
Changes to Other Repository Objects
Repository objects or parts of them that are not of the source code type are stored in database tables. A correction instruction contains information about which table entries have to be deleted, inserted or changed to correct an error. The system displays this information in the form of contents of a correction instruction. However, this display is primarily designed with experts in mind, for the purpose of problem analysis. We recommend that you do not implement correction instructions manually using this information. Use the automatic implementation only.
Validity
All correction instructions specify the releases and Support Package levels in which you can implement them. These release and Support Package levels are known as the validity range of the correction instructions.
For example, if Support Package 5 corrects and error in Release 4.6C, the validity range of the correction instructions is 4.6C Support Packages 1 -4.
An SAP Note can also determine that correction instructions are not allowed to be implemented if a certain software component (an add-on, for example) exists in the system. This is the case, for example, when a correction changes a program part that is required by another software component in an unaltered form.
If an exception such as this was defined, it is displayed in the header area of the correction instructions, under Invalid for <software component, release, Support Package level>.
The Note Assistant automatically checks the validity and only implements a correction instruction if the system status is within the validity range specified.
Prerequisites
In some cases, you can only implement correction instructions if certain other correction instructions have already been implemented. This is due to related changes made to the same part of the source code, or semantic dependencies.
These dependencies are described in the header area of the correction instructions. These dependencies (prerequisites) mean that you need to implement a sequence of SAP Notes, and not just one SAP Note.
Objects that can be changed using correction instructions.
The following objects can be described and automatically implemented in correction instructions:
Valid for SAP Web AS and SAP NetWeaver AS from Release 6.20:
· ABAP programs (REPS): ABAP source text and properties
· Screens (DYNP): ABAP source text, properties and element list
· Function modules (FUNC): ABAP source texts, properties, interface parameters and exceptions
· Classes (CLAS):
¡ Class definitions (CLSD)
¡ Local class definitions (CINC): for local definitions, local class implementations and macros
¡ Private sections (CPRI)
¡ Protected sections (CPRO)
¡ Public sections (CPUB)
· Interfaces (INTF): Interface section
· Type groups (TYPD): ABAP source text and properties
· Methods (METH): ABAP source text, properties, parameters and exceptions
· Pages/controller for a BSP application (WAPP): ABAP source text, properties, layout, event handler, page attributes and type definitions
Valid for SAP Web AS and SAP NetWeaver AS from Release 6.40:
· ITS objects (Internet Transaction Server):
¡ Non language-specific binary data of an IAC (Internet Application Component) (IAMU)
¡ Non language-specific IAC templates (IATU)
¡ Parameters of an IAC service (IASP)
¡ Parameters of an IAC language resource (IARP)
· Info objects from the MIME repository (SMIM)
See also:
Implementing Correction Instructions