ABAP Dictionary Search Help 

In Web Dynpro ABAP you can reuse existing search helps from the ABAP Dictionary. However, there are not search helps for all data types in the system. For instance, there is no F4 help for data type TIMS or T (time).
For more information on the classic ABAP search helps, see Search Helps.

When ABAP Dictionary search helps are reused, there are situations in which you want a search help exit to behave differently in the Web Dynpro environment than in the classical dynpro. For example, in the Web Dynpro environment it is not possible to process a separate dialog using CALL SCREEN (see below).
An application itself can ascertain whether or not it is running in the Web Dynpro environment by querying the IS_ACTIVE attribute in the CL_WEB_DYNRPO class:

IF CL_WEB_DYNPRO=>is_active = abap_true. ... ELSE. ... ENDIF.

In your view, you can create input help (F4 help) for fields to make it easier for users to input data. A symbol at the end of an input field indicates 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 user-programmed search help.

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 Elementary Search Help

●      Collective search help

See also Collective Search Help

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

Input Help for Date Fields

The default value for the first day of the week is Monday. You can use the CALENDAR_DEFINITION BAdI to define another day, which changes the display of the week day and the calculation of the week number:

The input help for date fields (F4_DATE function module in the SHLC function group) calls this BAdI. The display in the F4 help is modified so that the first day of the week is that defined in the BAdI implementation. If a week count other than the ISO standard count is implemented, the F4 help hides it since the front-end control that is used does not permit any deviating week count.

For more information, see SAP Note 1063178.

Notes for Search Help Programmers

To ensure optimum user guidance, it is not permitted to close the input help dialog box (popup) by modifying the search help time point (callcontrol-step) in a search help exit. An open dialog box should only be closed by the user as follows:

●      By selecting a value from the values list

or

●      By choosing Cancel or X.

The user expects a values list to appear - even if this list is empty - and does not expect the input help dialog box to close.

Integration

ABAP Dictionary search helps are integrated using the Input Help Mode property of the context attributes in a Web Dynpro application. See also Create and Maintain 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: 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 Value Transport for Input Helps), 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.

●      There is no automatic F4 help for data element TIMS.

●      The date input help for Web Dynpro ABAP does not support all ABAP data formats. For more information, see SAP Note 1056623.

Example

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