Search helps are objects that you can use to assign input help (F4 Help) to screen fields. You can do this by creating a search help in the ABAP Dictionary and attaching it to the corresponding screen field.
The input help (F4 help) is a standard function of the SAP system. You can display the list of all possible input values for a screen field using input help. You can enhance the possible input values with further information. This is meaningful especially when the field requires the input of a formal key.
To understand the functionality of search helps in detail, you have to be familiar with the standard input help process.
Standard Input Help Process
You call an input help with the following steps (some steps can be omitted, depending on the definition of the input help):
The following figure gives an example that explains the first three steps.
The following figure explains step 4 and step 5.
The system omits step 2 if there is only a single search path available. In this case the dialog box for the value selection is offered immediately. You can also output the hit list directly after starting the input help. In this case the system omits steps 3 and 4.
Function of a Search Help
This standard process can be completely defined by creating a search help in the ABAP Dictionary. This search help has to be assigned only to the screen fields in which it has to be available. (For more information, see Attaching Search Helps to Screen Fields .)
There are two types of search helps:
They describe a search path. The elementary search help must define the following:
Collective search helps combine several elementary search helps. A collective search help can offer several alternative search paths.
Using Search Helps in Web Dynpro ABAP
You can use search helps from the ABAP Dictionary in Web Dynpro for ABAP . Additional information is available under ABAP Dictionary Search Helps .
See also: