Editing Data Elements

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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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:
1. [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.
2. [Optional: ] Enter a Parameter ID to associate a data element with an SPA/GPA parameter.
  
  For further information, see Assign a parameter ID in the result section.
3. [Optional: ] Enter a Component Name to structure the reference of components or table fields to the entered data element.
  
  For further information, see Assign a default component name in the result section.
4. [Optional: ] Select the checkbox Change Document Logging to log changes to fields in database tables defined with reference to this data element.
  
  For further information, see Mark data element as corresponding for change documents in the result section.
5. [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.
  
  For further information, see Deactivation of input history in the result section.
6. [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 in 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.