ABAP Dictionary Search Help 

In Web Dynpro ABAP you can reuse existing search helps from the ABAP Dictionary. For more information on the classic ABAP search helps see Search Helps.

In your view you can create input help (F4 help) for fields, which makes it easier for users to input data.  A symbol at the end of an input field means that search help is available for that field.

The search help symbol is always the same regardless of whether the search help comes from the ABAP Dictionary, is an OVS search help, or a search help created by an application programmer or user.

Example input help of table SPFLI for the input field for an airline:

There are two types of search help:

·        Elementary Search Helps

See also Structure of an Elementary Search Help

·        Collective Search Help

See also Structure of a Collective Search Help

For information about the individual steps, input options, and actions see Using ABAP Dictionary Search Helps.

Integration

ABAP Dictionary search helps are integrated using Input Help Mode of the context attributes in a Web Dynpro application. See also Creating and Maintaining Context Attributes.

The context node must have been defined as a dictionary structure.  This ensures that all components of the structure are available dynamically at runtime as attributes of the node.

Only the options Automatic and Dictionary Search Help are relevant for ABAP Dictionary search help:

·        Automatic

The search help assigned to the data type of the context attribute in the ABAP Dictionary is used. Example: the search help SCITAIRP is assigned to the SPFLI-AIRPFROM field in the ABAP Dictionary. If the type of context attribute is SPFLI-AIRPFROM, the SCITAIRP search help is used.

The search help is displayed under Determined Search Help and cannot be changed. The search help displayed for the example here is SCITAIRP.

If no search help can be determined for the attribute type, no search help symbol is displayed and no search help can be performed.

·        Dictionary Search Help

One search help from the Dictionary can be assigned to the context attribute. Beneath the Input Help Mode field the Dictionary Search Help field appears, in which you can enter the search help you want. The search help must be defined in the ABAP Dictionary. If you do not enter a search help, at runtime the system attempts to determine a search help using the type of context attribute.

Be aware that import and export parameters for the search help are determined only within the same context node (see also Transport of Values for the Input Help), and even then only if a Dictionary structure is assigned to the node.

Restrictions

·        The hot key for collective search helps is not supported.

·        Search help exits containing Dynpro-specific functions, for example, CALL SCREEN, are not supported.

Example

You can find an example of ABAP Dictionary search help in the system under component WDR_TEST_DDIC_SHLP.