Field Dependencies (SAP Library - BC - Generate Table Maintenance Dialog)

Field Dependencies

Use

Field dependencies specify the relationships between the fields in a dialog. The dependency of a view/table field is usually limited to a field in the higher-level dialog.

Note

If all foreign key relationships for all dialogs are correctly maintained in the ABAP/4 Dictionary, the field dependencies can be generated.

Functions

Maintain the following fields:

View/Tab.: The view/table for which a field-dependence is to be specified. The green arrow next to the object goes to the ABAP/4 Dictionary.

Field: The view/table field for which a relationship to a field in another dialog is to be specified.

Predecessor: The view/table for which a relationship exists to the entry in the View/Tab. column.

Pred. field: The view/table field for which a dependency exists to the entry in the Field column.

Type: The field relationship type. The default value for this field is <space>. This value applies for fields with a key relationship. The type <space> gets the dependent entries (in navigation and hierarchical operations such as delete and copy) for a higher-level entry.

Note

Assign the view definition maintenance attribute S to key fields which depend on their predecessor. The restrictions from the predecessor of the selected entry are displayed in the maintenance screen header. When you create new entries, the key fields are filled according to these restrictions.

Additional information about dependency types

There are three other possible values S, I and C, as well as the default value, with which you can specify field dependencies to use special view cluster maintenance functions.

S: The ABAP/4 Dictionary field is a read-only or subset field and not a key field.

The field is filled from the higher-level view cluster dialog when you go to the dialog.

Example

The field dependency S between the fields Rel of the higher-level and dependent views fills the value of Rel for Key1 in the dependent view from the higher-level view:

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

C: The view/table in the Predecessor column satisfies the following conditions:

The view/table is check table for the entry under View/Tab.
The view/table is not at a hierarchically higher level in the view cluster than the entry under View/Tab.

The field dependency C performs a foreign key check for fields which are not hierarchically dependent on each other. The foreign key check is made against the internal data status, not the saved data status in the database as in the screen processor.

Example

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

I: The view/table under Predecessor satisfies the following conditions:

The view/table is not at a hierarchically higher level in the view cluster than the entry under View/Tab.
Both views/tables have a common subset field.

The subset condition is only checked once.

Example

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

Caution

A field dependence of type <space> must exist for each view/table. For root dialogs, enter the following:

The dialog is entered in both the View/Tab. and the Predecessor column.

The columns Field, Pred. field and Type remain empty.

You must make an entry of type <space> for each lower-level dialog key field which has a (foreign) key relationship to a key field in the higher-level dialog.

Additional information about subset fields

If a dependent dialog contains key fields which are defined in the ABAP/4 Dictionary as subset fields, but have no relationship to the predecessor, distinguish the following cases:

Make no entry in the field dependencies: the field value is in the ABAP/4 Dictionary or an event.

Note

If the value has not been entered, you are prompted for it the first time that you go to the dialog. The hierarchical operations take into account all dependent entries read, regardless of this value.

Put entries with initial predecessor in the field dependencies: You are prompted for the subset field value each time you go to the dialog, unless it is in Event 09.

Hierarchical operations take account of all dependent entries regardless of the subset field, if events 11 and 12 are not used.