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Function documentationSpecification Search (Expert Search)

 

You use this function to search for specifications. Starting from the initial screen of the search for specifications, you have the following options:

  • You use the research functions to define search criteria for the specifications to be selected.

  • You start to search for specifications by executing a query.

Integration

The results of the search are displayed in a hit list where you can fine-tune the search results and save them as sets of hits. You can also display the search history from the hit list.

Features

All search criteria that you enter in the initial screen are linked with AND. This includes searching with

  • Identifiers (such as the trade name, the number, and the structure formulas)

    To improve performance, the system only searches the specification long texts if you enter additional search criteria to reduce the number of specifications that are searched. If you do not enter additional search criteria or the search criteria that you have entered do not reduce the number of specifications that are searched, the system searches on the first 132 characters of the identifier.

  • Regulatory lists

  • Material and material short text

  • From-Date and To-Date

    The system determines specifications that fulfill the selection conditions on at least one day within the given time period. The days can be different for different selection conditions. In this case, the key date is the day for which you want the data.

    Note Note

    If you also want to display data that was valid on an earlier data, you need to enter the earlier date instead of the suggested date as the key date.

    End of the note.

  • Status

    Status: The system determines the specifications whose data has a specific status.

  • Use

    The system determines the specifications whose header data, identifiers, or value assessments contain the entered ratings and validity areas. However, searching by Usage affects the search result only if you determine the hits with header data, identifiers, or value assessments. That is, if you have entered an authorization group (for the header data), an identifier, or an assessment as an additional criterion.

    Example Example

    For specifications in the substance specification type, you determine a hit with an assessment if you have entered Substance with Property, Substance Contains Component, or Substance with Phrases Assigned as search criteria in the search functions.

    When you search by Usage, a stringent check takes places. The ratings and validity areas of the data records must be the same as those that you entered as the search criteria or include these. If a data record does not have a usage, the system interprets it as follows in the search:

    End of the example.

    • If a specification does not have a usage in the header data or identifier, then it is valid everywhere without restrictions.

    • If an assessment does not have a usage, it is not valid anywhere.

The search for specifications in the specification types Substance and Agent is connected to the SAP search engine, TREX. This means you can execute a full text search. You can search the short and long texts of all languages or in numerous attributes of the specification at the same time. You can find the full text search in the input help of the Specification field on the screen for the specification search. For more information about the full text search, see the field helps for the fields in the full text search.

In Customizing for Basic Data and Tools, you can adapt the views for the specification search according to your requirements under Adapt Initial Screens. Under Specify Environment Parameters, in the environment parameter QRY_CHECK_FUNC, you can specify a function module that checks the search criteria in the specification search. For example, you can ensure that zeroes are always added to fill specification keys that are entered.

Extended Search Functions

The standard delivery supplies search functions that you can check in Customizing for Basic Data and Tools under Manage User Exits. If you want to define your own search function, display the documentation for the corresponding reference function module. Write the new function module analogous to the reference module and its interface.

The following extended search functions are available in the standard delivery for the specification type Substance.

Search function

Result

Substance with header data

The system determines specifications that fulfill the search criteria in the header data. These include:

  • Specification details (key, specification type, and so on)

  • Administration data (created by, changed by, data origin, data supplier, and so on)

Substance with assessment

The system determines specifications that have specific value assessment types for specific characteristic values.

You define the value assessment types in the Property Tree dialog box. The SAP system lists the related characteristic for which you can enter the required values.

You use the Nonempty Characteristics function to search for specifications in which specific characteristics have already been edited. If you choose the new Nonempty Characteristics function for a selected value assessment type in the dialog box, the characteristics of the value assignment type are displayed for you to select and copy as required. The system displays all specifications that have a random value set for the selected characteristics as the result of the search.

You can set up the search as exclusive or inclusive for non-phrase-enabled characteristics. To do so, call the input help for the characteristic. A dialog box, in which you can select the Comparison Type function, appears. If you then select the Exclusive field in the Comparison Type dialog box, the SAP system searches for all specifications that do not contain the values specified for the characteristic. After the confirmation, you can select additional value assessment types and characteristic values.

Substance contains components

The system determines specifications that fulfill the search criteria: This includes information about reference size, specification key, component type, and concentration. You can also specify the value assessment type that the relevant component contains.

You can decide whether the specified component exists

  • Directly as an ingredient of the specification you want to find

  • Indirectly as the additional component of an ingredient

    The component type is used as a search criterion only if you choose the Contained directly only option. The Cont. indirectly also option includes the component type only for internally determining the specifications that contain the component directly. If this system behavior does not meet your expectations, you can split the search into two steps: First choose the Contained directly only setting and then process the hit list by changing the search criteria and using Refine selection (Refine selection).

Substance used as reference substance

The system determines specifications that have a specific reference.

Substance with phrases assigned

The system determines specifications that have been assessed with a specific phrase.

Relationship contains substance

The system determines the specifications contained in inheritance relationships (see Inheritance) and which fulfill specific search criteria. Based on the search criteria, you can search for the following specifications:

  • Specifications that occur in inheritances with a specific Inheritance Template

  • Specifications that are partners in inheritance relationships with a specific specification

  • Specifications that occur in inheritance relationships with a specific approval status (such as Requested) or a specific inheritance status (such as Incorrect)

  • Specifications that occur in active or deactivated inheritance relationships

Substance contains document

The system determines specifications that had a specific document assigned to them from Document Administration with the User-Defined Texts and Documents function.

New data available for substance ...

If you have installed the Open Content Connector (OCC), the system determines specifications for which updated data has been made available with a content provider. This data needs to be located in a *.TXT file, which contains the associated CAS number and last update date for each updated substance. The file must be stored as a *.TXT file in the company network. Prerequisite: These substances have at least one entry in the table EHS: OCC: Table for saving import information and the Load Instance checkbox must be selected.
Constraints

The following constraints are valid for the search specifications:

  • Search terms in language-dependent search fields are not converted with EH&S Native Language Support. You can enter only search terms in languages that can be represented with the active Code Page of the application server.

  • The search result always contains only specifications of the specification type that you entered initially; that is, the specification type that you selected in the Specification Workbench and that is displayed on your initial screen.

By using the Personalize pushbutton, you can specify which search option is active when you start the workbench. You can switch between the search options at any time.

Activities

Searching Manually for Specifications

Executing Queries