You can edit data elements either in the integrated SAP GUI or using the creation wizard
of the form-based editor if your Eclipse-based IDE is connected with SAP NetWeaver 7.5 SP00 or
higher.
Context
This form-based editor contains the following sections:
- Data Type Information
- Field Labels
- Additional Properties
Note
The usability of the form-based editor in ABAP Development Tools (ADT) is similar
to transaction SE11 in the back end.
Procedure
- Open an existing data element or create a new data element.
The data element is opened in the form-based editor.
- In the Data Type Information section, choose the relevant
Category from the dropdown listbox.
The subsequent options are available to you.
Tip
When entering, a name in an entry field, for example, you can benefit from the content
assistant functionality. Edit its first letters. Then, choose
Ctrl + Space to display and select
relevant proposals.
- If the data element needs to have the type attributes of a domain, select
Domain.
In this case, enter the name of a domain in the Type
Name field.
You can also define a new domain. To create it, enter the name of the new domain in the
Type Name field and then double-click
it.
- If you choose Predefined Type, you can define the data type,
length, and the number of decimal places of the data element using the
direct type in the Type Name field.
- If the data element needs to describe a reference type, choose one of the following
Reference To types to define the data type,
length, and number of decimal places of the data element:
- Reference to Predefined Type to map to a predefined type in ABAP
Dictionary and its fundamental technical attributes
- Reference to Dictionary Type to map to a data type of the ABAP
Dictionary
- Reference to Class/Interface to map to an ABAP class or interface
of the repository
- In the Field label section, you can maintain text
information for the data element.
You can use short, medium, and long field labels, and the title. Each label
is an input template. It represents entry fields that refer to this data
element.
- In the Additional Properties section, you have the following
options:
- [Optional: ] In the Search Help area, choose the link on the
Name label or enter the name of a new search
help object in order to reference or create a new search help object. In
addition, you can define a Parameter.
The data element of the parameter is automatically copied from the selection method. The
data element defines the output attributes as well as the F1 help of
the parameter in the hit list and in the dialog box for value
selection.
For further information, see Assign a search help in the result section.
- [Optional: ] Enter a Parameter ID to associate a
data element with an SPA/GPA parameter.
- [Optional: ] Enter a Component Name to structure
the reference of components or table fields to the entered data
element.
- [Optional: ] Select the checkbox Change Document
Logging to log changes to fields in database tables
defined with reference to this data element.
- [Optional: ] Select the checkbox Input History to activate or
deactivate the SAP GUI history for dynpro fields defined with direct or
indirect reference to the data element.
- [Optional: ] Select the checkbox Bidirectional
Option to define the behavior of dynpro fields or Web
Dynpro fields in order to handle bidirectional fonts.
- In the General tab of the
Properties view, you can enter or edit a short text
in the Description field.
- Choose to save.
You are asked to assign the data element to a package.
- Choose to activate.
Results
The data element is activated and the changes are active.
You can find information about the activation flow in the activation log. To display
it, open the ABAP Log view. If errors occured, the activation
log is automatically displayed.
Additional Options
Available from the editor toolbar:
- Duplicate objects
To duplicate the currently opened data element to another ABAP
package
For more information, look here Duplicating Source Code Based Objects
- Open in SAP GUI
To duplicate the currently opened data element in SAP GUI
For
more information, look here Opening in the SAP GUI
- Create documentation
To open the Change Data
Element screen in the SAP GUI for creating a text that
describes the contents of the data element, choose the
button Open Documentation with SAP GUI. This content
is displayed for the F1 help in all screen fields that refer to this data
element.
Note
You should only leave out this step if the data element does not appear on a screen. In
this case, you must set the documentation status appropriately.
- Open in another project
To open this data element in another ABAP project
For more information,
look here Opening in Another System
- Share a link
To share the opened data element with other ABAP developers in order
to communicate, for example, a programming improvement
For more
information, look here Sharing and Opening a Link to a Development Object
- Unlock a data element
To remove the existing lock of the currently opened data element enables
changes by another user on the inactive version of the same object
For
more information, look here Unlocking Development Objects
Available from the Additional Properties section in the
form-based editor:
- Assign a search help
You can assign a search help to the data element that is displayed on all the
screen fields referring to this data element when the input help (F4 help)
is called. Assign the search help by specifying the name of the search help
in the Name field and an export parameter in the
Parameter field.
- Assign a parameter ID
A field can be filled with default values from the SAP memory using a
parameter ID. A screen field is automatically filled with the value stored
under the parameter ID of the data element only if this was explicitly
permitted in the Screen Painter. Specify the parameter ID in the
Parameter ID field.
Example If a user
only has authorization for company code 001, this company
code can be stored in the memory under the corresponding parameter ID at the
beginning of a transaction. Fields that refer to the data element for the
company code are then automatically filled with the value
001 in all subsequent screen templates. In this
case, the corresponding parameter ID only needs to be entered in the data
element for the company code.
- Assign a default component name
You can store a proposal for the name of the table fields or structure
components that refer to a data element. This results in a more unified
assignment of field and component names. Assign the default component in the
Component Name field.
Tip
Use an English-language default name.
Always use this default name for components in BAPI structures
(structures with a fixed interface).
- Mark data element as relevant for change documents
The data of a business-oriented object can be distributed to several tables.
To trace changes to a business object, these tables can be combined in a
change document object. Function modules that can be integrated in the
corresponding application programs and that log these changes are generated
from such an object. To log changed field contents, set the
Change Document Logging checkbox.
- Deactivation of input history
If this checkbox is set, the mechanism for handling the input history of a
screen input field is switched off. This option is used mostly for fields
containing sensitive data, such as account numbers. Deselect the
Input history checkbox to turn off logging input
history.