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Definition

A generic design template for displaying search queries and search results.

It is implemented using the Web Dynpro component FPM_SEARCH_UIBB and the Web Dynpro interface view SEARCH_WINDOW.

The information displayed in a search at runtime is determined by the feeder class assigned to the configuration of the Web Dynpro component FPM_SEARCH_UIBB.

Use

You use this design template when you want to have a search page or search function available. You determine the concrete display of the search component when configuring the Web Dynpro component FPM_SEARCH_UIBB.

Structure at Runtime

The following figure shows how a search component might look at runtime:

Figure 1: Search Component at Runtime

A search component consists of the following areas:

  • Search Area

    The search area contains all the fields and functions to specify the search criteria and start the search. The field labels, operators, and search fields of the search criteria (search statements) obtain their values from the feeder class at runtime. Search criteria may be grouped.

    You can hide the search criteria at runtime to provide more space on the screen for the search results.

  • Search Results List

    If configured, the search results list is displayed below the search area.

    To display a search result, the columns and the initial sorting of the results list must be determined in the configuration. The search results list can be provided by a separate component altogether, a list component based on a configuration of the FPM_LIST_UIBB_ATS component.

  • Saved Searches

    If you regularly search for certain items, save time by saving your searches. You can save any searches you define by choosing the Save Search As button. You can call up these searches again by choosing them from the Saved Searches dropdown list box.
    Note Developers can change the texts relating to the Saved Searches feature. For more information, see Replacing UI Texts in the Saved Searches Feature
The following buttons are always present at runtime:
  • Search
    When the cursor is positioned in a search value, the search will start when this button is pressed.
    Note Additionally, users can execute a search by choosing the ENTER key on the keyboard. You can disable this feature in FLUID in the General Settings panel of the Search component.
  • Clear Entries

    This button clears all search fields, but does not reset the result list or the search statements (that is, attributes and operators remain unchanged, and lines are not removed). This button also clears the Save Search As field and Saved Searches field, but the Maximum Number of Results field remains unchanged.

  • Reset to Default

    This button rolls all search criteria back to the predefined default state (that is, the predefined combination of search criteria that was configured for the search). It clears all search fields as well as the Save Search As field, and also clears the search result list if the standard result list is used.

Editing the Structure at Design Time (FLUID)

You configure this component using the FPM configuration editor, FLUID.

At design time, the Preview panel in FLUID displays the Search component in a WYSIWYG style.

In the General Settings panel, you can specify settings applicable to the Search component as a whole.

In the Search UIBB Schema, you can specify attributes for the individual elements of the Search component, as well as adding search criteria, search groups, and adding a List component to display the search results list.

In FLUID, a search component is comprised of the following objects:
  • Search Attributes

    These are the attributes that a user can use to build up a search query, e.g. cost center, personnel number or area code, etc. Each search attribute has a certain ABAP data type. From this ABAP data type, a particular meta type is derived. The existing predefined meta types are: text, alpha numeric, numeric, date, enumeration, and Boolean.

    The following table shows the mapping in the standard delivery:

    ABAP Data Type Meta Type
    Character or string Text
    Char or string with 2 values in domain Boolean
    Char or string with more than 2 values in domain Enumeration
    Numeric, integer, packed, float, hexadecimal Numeric
    Date, time Date
    Others Text

    It is possible to overwrite the standard mapping by using the field description in the feeder class.

  • Search Operators

    These are operators such as is, is greater than, or is between that the user can combine with search attributes in order to build up the query. Each search attribute gets a default set of search operators assigned. The content of that set depends on the meta-type of the search attribute. The table below shows the search operators that are available for the different search attribute meta-types.

    The set of search operators can be modified in the feeder class (see later in this section):

    Meta Type/Property Search Operators
    Text (TE) Is (01), is not (02), is empty (03), contains (05), starts with (04), is not empty (23)
    Alpha numeric (AN) Is (06), is not (07), is empty (03), is not empty (23), contains (05), is between (10), is greater than (08), is less than (09), is greater than or equal to (19), is less than or equal to (20)
    Numeric (NU) Is (06), is not (07), is empty (03), is not empty (23), is between (10), is greater than (08), is less than (09), is greater than or equal to (19), is less than or equal to (20)
    Date (TD) Is (01), is not (02), is between (10), is earlier than (11), is later than (12), is earlier than or on (21), is later than or on (22)
    Enumeration (EN) Is (01), is not (02), is empty (03), is not empty (23)
    Boolean (BO) Is (01)
    Note

    There is an additional operator is similar to (24). This operator is not in the default set of operators; it can only be explicitly added in the field_description of a search attribute (see later in this section). The constants for these operators are defined in the interface IF_FPM_GUIBB_SEARCH, attribute GC_OPERATORS.

  • Search Values

    These are the values that are used for the search. There is one input field where the user can enter a value. However, if the user chooses the search operator is between two input fields are displayed in order to build up a range. For the operator is empty no input field is displayed.

  • Search Row

    A search row is a combination of one search attribute, plus one search operator, plus one search value (or two in the case of a range).

  • Search Query

    A search query consists of one or several search rows.

For more information on the attributes of this component in FLUID, choose Field Help from the context menus in the system.