1. In the initial screen of the ABAP Dictionary, select object class Search help, enter the name of the search help and choose Create.

A dialog box appears in which you must select the type of search help.

2. Select Elementary search help and choose .

The maintenance screen for elementary search helps appears.

3. Enter an explanatory text in the field Short text.

You can for example find the search help at a later time using this short text.

4. In the Definition tab page enter the selection method of the search help.

You can enter the name of a table or a view (database view, projection view or help view) here. If you enter a table that has a text table, the name of the text table is automatically entered in the corresponding field.

5. Using the input help (F4 help), select fields of the selection method as parameter in the Search help parameter area. Select the fields that should be used in the dialog box for value selection or in the hit list.

If the selection method is a table that has a text table, both the fields of the table and the fields of the text table are offered in the input help.

The data element of the parameter is automatically copied from the selection method. The data element defines the output attributes and the F1 help of the parameter in the hit list and in the dialog box for value selection.

You can assign the parameter another data element. To do so, select the Mod flag. The Data element field is now ready for input. Then select a data element with the input help (F4 help). Only data elements whose data type, length and number of decimal places is the same as those of the previous data element can be assigned.

This removes the link between the data element of the search help parameter and the data element of the selection method field having the same name. If you cancel the Mod flag, the data element of the assigned table field is used again.

6. Define the attributes of the search help parameters.

Select the IMP flag if it is an import parameter. Select the EXP flag if it is an export parameter.

You can define the dialog for the input help with the fields LPos, SPos and SDis. Enter the parameter position in the hit list in LPos. If you enter nothing or the value 0 here, the parameter is not displayed in the hit list.



Enter the parameter position in the dialog box for value selection in SPos. If you enter nothing or the value 0 here, the parameter is not displayed in the dialog box for value selection.



Set the SDis flag if the parameter should be a pure display field in the dialog box for value selection. The user is thus informed that the contents of the parameter restrict the value, but he cannot change this restriction. This makes sense for example when the parameter is an import parameter or if it has a default value.

You can assign the parameter a default value in the Default value field.

7. Select the dialog type of the search help.

The dialog type defines how the hit list is displayed in the input help.

8. Save your entries.

A dialog box appears in which you have to assign the search help a development class.

9. Choose .

The search help is activated. You can find information about the activation flow in the activation log, which you can display with Utilities ® Activation log. If errors occurred during activation, the activation log is automatically displayed.

• Assign a hot key: If the search help is to be accessed with a hot key, you must enter a one-place ID in the Hot key field. All the elementary search helps contained in a collective search help should have different short cuts.
• Assign a search help exit: In exceptions, you might have to change the standard flow defined by the search help with a search help exit. In this case enter the name of the search help exit in the corresponding field.
• Test the search help: You can test the flow of an input help defined by the elementary search help with . A dialog box appears in which you can simulate the behavior of the search help under different conditions. You can obtain information about the options provided in this window with .

Structure of an Elementary Search Help