Documentation

Use

When modifying forms, you must know the meaning of windows and text elements. Of special importance is the description of program symbols, their meanings and availabilities. As the creator of a form, you are responsible for maintaining this data in the form documentation. Make sure to describe also those program symbols that are not used in the standard version, but that contain values that may be important when modifying the form.

Format of the Form Documentation

To enter form documentation, on the initial screen for maintaining forms (transaction SE71), select the Documentation radio button and then choose the Create pushbutton. In addition, you can access the documentation of a form by choosing the appropriate pushbutton after opening the form. Depending on whether you are working in edit or display mode, you can either create or change the documentation or simply read it. If you create documentation, the system automatically generates a template for the specified form as a model. This template contains read-only lines that represent certain sections. You can now enter documentation for each of these sections.

The read-only lines represent the different objects of a form (general information, pages, windows, and text elements). Each object begins with a key word followed by the corresponding name. The general section starts with LAYOUT SET, followed by the form name. Then the different pages (key word PAGE) follow, each one with its name. The system then lists the windows (key word WINDOW) and finally the text elements (key word ELEMENT).

Note

The names of text elements are unique only within one window, not within the entire form. Therefore, the system displays the text elements in the form documentation as a combination of window name and text element. As a proposal for the documentation of these objects, the system enters the short texts (description of the form, the pages, and the windows) into the input-enabled screen part. You can now add any relevant information.

Automatically Adjusting the Form Documentation

If form documentation exists and you enhance the form (new pages, windows, or text elements), the system automatically adds these new objects to the form documentation when you save the form. You can then enter the appropriate documentation for these objects as described before.

Note

When pages, windows, or text elements are deleted from the form, the system does not remove the documentation for them. Instead the system designates them as being no longer needed (an asterisk (*) is placed before the key word). If you create an object with the same name at a later time, the system deletes the flag, thus preserving the documentation. No longer needed objects always appear at the end of the objects list, but in the same sequence as before (general, pages, windows, text elements).

Deleting no Longer Needed Sections

You can delete documentation for objects you no longer need (see above). On the Form Painter: Request screen (transaction SE71), choose Start of the navigation path Utilities Next navigation step Documentation Clean Up End of the navigation path . The system then deletes all sections that are flagged as no longer needed (with an asterisk (*) in front of the key word). It also deletes all read-only lines for which no documentation (0 lines) exists.

To delete the entire form documentation, on the Form Painter: Request screen, choose Start of the navigation path Utilities Next navigation step Documentation Delete End of the navigation path .

Printing the Form Documentation

To print the form documentation, choose Start of the navigation path Utilities Next navigation step Documentation Print End of the navigation path . The system prints only those objects that are actually documented.

Points to Note

The system stores the form documentation in the form itself. This ensures that the documentation is language-dependent and takes part in the transport.

Translation

The form documentation is linked to form translation (transaction SE76). Choose the Window Texts and Documentation radio button. The list created contains the individual windows and, at the end, the entry Documentation, if there is any. The documentation can be translated there.

The subdivision into objects (general, pages, windows, text elements) alternates between the original and target language. This corresponds to the translation of text elements. There is no status administration for translated objects (new, edited, complete). Therefore, the system asks whether the documentation - if any - was translated completely when you release the form.