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Procedure documentationAdding Fields

 

You can use the Application Enhancement Tool to add fields to an object. You can choose the expert mode to adapt some of the technical settings, for example, data element and technical field names.

Prerequisites

You have enabled the configuration mode in the general settings on the central personalization page of the WebClient UI.

Procedure

1. Create a new field
  1. Start the WebClient UI and select the application that you want to enhance.

  2. Start the page configuration in the application.

  3. Choose the Display Enhancements pushbutton to display or create a new field.

    Note Note

    You can also choose the Create Field pushbutton if you want to directly create a new field. However, you cannot enable or disable the expert mode.

    End of the note.
  4. Enable or disable the expert mode.

  5. Choose the New pushbutton in the Fields block to create a new field.

2. Select an object part
  1. Select a valid package. The namespace is automatically derived from the package name.

  2. Select an object part in which the new field is available, for example, header, item, and so on.

3. Enter the details of the new field

You enter the details of the new field in the Field Details dialog box. Once you have created a new field in the Fields block, the enhancement ID and the field ID are automatically generated.

  1. If you want to create a calculated field, select the Calculated (Read-Only) checkbox.

    If this checkbox is active, the Calculated Field Value block is shown. The block stays in display mode as long you have not defined the field details.

  2. Enter the new field name in the Field Label field.

  3. In the Search-Relevance field, specify whether the new field is to be used in the search.

    If the field is relevant for the search, it is available in the search criteria and/or the result list. You can select one of the following options:

    • Not search-relevant

    • Search criteria

    • Result list

    • Search criteria and result list

  4. In the Field Type field, select one of the following field types: decimal number, numerical, date, time, indicator, currency, quantity, text with capital letters, text with small and capital letters, or application reference.

    • If you have selected Currency or Quantity as the field type, an additional reference field for the currency or quantity unit is created, to which the related check table is assigned.

    • If you have selected Application Reference as the field type, the field is displayed as a hyperlink that allows you to navigate to an object (business object).

    • If the user defines a field with his or her own data element, the field type is derived from the data element. The Application Enhancement Tool tries to match the derived field type with the field types provided by the tool. If the tool does not find any match, the Manual field type is selected. This option is only available if the expert mode is enabled.

  5. In the Field Sub-Type field, select the field sub-type:

    • If you have selected Application Reference as the field type, select the navigation object, that is, the business object where the navigation leads.

      Note Note

      Fields of type Application Reference can have different length. The length depends on what was defined by the application.

      End of the note.
    • If you have selected Quantity as a field type, select the dimension. The dimension determines the units of measurement that are made available.

  6. In the Render/Validate As field, select a rendering option to determine the field behavior. Depending on the field type, the following options are available:

    • Show Check Table as DDLB

    • E-Mail

    • Calculated Image

    • Hyperlink

      If you have selected Hyperlink, a hyperlink is added to the field enhancement. This hyperlink can contain a maximum of 60 characters. The field is displayed as a hyperlink in display mode, and as normal text in edit mode.

    Note Note

    A field with this rendering option is not available in Floorplan Manager for Web Dynpro ABAP.

    End of the note.
  7. Enter the field length (number of characters).

    Field type

    Field length (characters)

    Uppercase / lowercase text

    Maximum: 60 (for calculated fields: 255)

    Currency

    Maximum: 31

    Fixed number of decimals: 2

    Quantity

    Decimal number

    Maximum: 31

    Maximum number of decimals: 10

    Numerical

    Maximum: 32 (for calculated fields: 31)

    Date

    Fixed length: 8

    Time

    Fixed length: 6

    Indicator

    Fixed length: 1

  8. Enter the decimals, if you have selected decimal number, currency or quantity as the field type.

Note Note

If you have enabled the expert mode beforehand, you can change the field ID and the reference field ID. You can enter your own data element. The field type depends on the selected data element.

End of the note.
4. Define the formula for a calculated field

If you have selected the Calculated (Read-only) checkbox, define the formula in the Calculated Field Value block. For more information, see Calculated Field.

5. Make the new field available for other systems and scenarios

For some applications, it might be necessary to make the new field available for other systems and scenarios. You can make the new field available for the following systems and scenarios if they are supported by the enhanced application:

  • Business Intelligence (BI) reporting

  • CRM interactive reporting (as characteristic or key figure)

  • R/3 Adapter

  • CRM Mobile (Synchronized BDocs)

    Note Note

    For CRM Mobile, you need to use namespace Z for the enhancement. Furthermore, the software component BBPCRM needs to be modifiable. You can change this option in transaction SE03 at Start of the navigation path Administration Next navigation step Set System Change Option End of the navigation path if you have administration rights.

    End of the note.
6. Assign input help to the new field

You can assign input help to a new field. This input help is automatically available at runtime. You can assign dropdown lists to the new field. In the Dropdown List block, choose the Insert pushbutton to create a new dropdown list and enter the values. You can create dropdown lists for the following field types: numerical, text with capital letters, and text with small and capital letters.

Alternatively, you can assign check tables or search helps to new fields. Enter the technical name of the check table or search help.

Recommendation Recommendation

The specified field length only affects the length of the value code for a dropdown list, not the length of the value description — this is displayed on the UI, and has a maximum length of 60 characters. We recommend to keep the length of the field as short as possible, to prevent an overload of the database tables. This is also recommended for check tables.

End of the recommendation.

Note Note

A combination of dropdown list, check table, and search help is not allowed in the same field.

End of the note.
7. Select or deselect the generation checkbox

The Generate checkbox indicates that you want to generate a field. The checkbox can be selected or deselected in the Fields block or in the Field Details dialog box. This checkbox is selected by default for new and changed fields. If you want to exclude a field from generation, you need to deselect the checkbox.

8. Save and generate the field

After you have entered the details of your new field, return to the overview page of the enhanced object by choosing the Back pushbutton. In the overview page of the enhanced object, you can save and generate your data.

You need to choose a transport request, if you have defined a transport package in Customizing for UI Framework under Start of the navigation path UI Framework Definition Next navigation step Application Enhancements Next navigation step Define System Settings End of the navigation path. If you are working with a local package, a transport request is not necessary.

After every generation, a system message informs you that you need to restart the WebClient UI by choosing the Restart pushbutton. The restart is automatically performed in the following situations if you have started the Application Enhancement Tool from the UI Configuration Tool:

  • When you close the page configuration dialog box

  • When you navigate to another application via the navigation bar, before you have restarted the WebClient UI

Note Note

If the WebClient UI is not automatically restarted, you need to log off and log on again before you start the application and the UI configuration, to make the new field available on the user interface.

End of the note.
9. Make the new field available on the UI

After the WebClient UI has been restarted, select the application and start the page configuration of the application to make the new field available on the user interface. If you have started the Application Enhancement Tool from the UI Configuration Tool, you can return to the UI Configuration Tool, by choosing the Back pushbutton, and add the new field to the UI configuration before you restart the WebClient UI.

Note Note

Fields that you added to a business object might also appear in the Available Fields list of a view configuration that is associated with another enhanced business object, if these business objects have the same enhancement place. However, at runtime only the fields created for the rendered enhancement object is displayed. If you want to display these fields at runtime, you can add them as reusable fields.

End of the note.

You can choose the How To Deploy pushbutton to see a list of all transport requests. If an element is locked in a transport, the enhancement uses the locking transport for this element of the enhancement. It is necessary to release all transports together.