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Importing Search Help as a Data SourceLocate this document in the navigation structure

In the Service Builder, you can reuse existing Search Helps in a system as data sources to create new entity types.

Context

Only the search helps in the local SAP system can be used as a data source. When you choose to use search helps as data sources, Service Builder allows you to do the following:
  • Import the search help parameters
  • Create OData model entities based on the imported search help parameters
  • Map only the Query and Read operations for the model entities to their corresponding search help parameters.
  • Generate and register the OData service.

Importing Search Help Parameters

You import search helps as data sources using the import wizard to create a new entity type, and a corresponding entity set into your project. When you import a search help as a data source, tool performs the following:
  • Checks that the search help, you have specified, exists and as it is an elementary search help, it also returns the search help description.
  • Builds the search help parameter that you specify, creates a result table, and range tables based on the logic described above.
A max hits data element is provided automatically in Service Builder.

To import search help parameters proceed as follows:

Procedure

  1. In your project, right click the folder Start of the navigation path Data Model Next navigation step Import Next navigation step Search Help End of the navigation path. Wizard Step 1 of 3: Import From Search Help appears.
  2. Enter the entity name in Entity Type Name field.
  3. Enter the search help name you want as a data source in Name field. You can press F4 to find the search helps in your local system. From the result, select the search help parameters you want to use in the data source.
  4. Select Create Default Entity Set to create the entity set for the entities created for Search Help.
  5. Select Query and/or Read to create an automatic mapping proposal for the query and/or read operations.
  6. Click Next.
  7. In wizard step 2 of 3: Import From Search Help, from Result List select the data source parameter you want to import and click Next. A search help data source contains the following:
    • Result list: An output table that represents the runtime results in a list. It is a representation of the search help parameters. The table is a representation of the result list that users retrieve once they execute the search help. If the LPos value for a search help parameter is defined as greater than zero, or it has been selected (flagged) for EXPORT, that parameter is presented in the results list. The implemented logic relates to the search help definition in the data dictionary.
      Note Only entries in the result table are enabled.
    • Range tables: Each range table represents a search help parameter in the dialog box for filtering values. Parameters with SPos values defined as greater than zero, or have been flagged for IMPORT, are presented. In the local system, if the SPos is zero, the parameter is not presented, as it does not have a corresponding representation of a range table.
    • Max Hits: Restricts the number of entries in the list.
  8. In wizard step 3 of 3: Import From Search Help, select the property you want to use as key, and click Finish.

Results

The Search Help parameters are imported and mapping proposal is created.

Next Steps

Mapping Search Help Parameters
You can manually map entity set properties to Search Helps. The procedure for mapping is same for all data sources
Note Only the Query and Read operations can be mapped for entity sets derived from the search help data source. In addition, when mapping a search help to the Read operation, the related range table header of each key property must be mapped to the key. At runtime, the range table is set with the following values: SIGN = ‘I’, option = ‘EQ’, LOW = key value.
When you map entity set properties to search help, the tool performs the following:
  • Ensures that mapping can be performed only for Query and Read operations
  • Checks that the parameters imported into a project contain mapping information
  • In addition, it checks that the range table mapping semantic has not changed, for example, SIGN can only be mapped to the SIGN semantics, or to a constant value.

Constraints

The following are the constraints:
  • Only elementary search helps are supported. Collective search helps are not supported
  • Search helps that call UI in their exit function are not supported, as this cannot be validated by the Service Builder
  • If the imported Search Help has a Search Help Exit, then this exit is not executed in the DISP step of the search help processing
  • At runtime, a query operation that is based on a search help data source can retrieve a maximum of 9,999 entries
  • If you have assigned an ABAP structure with properties associated to Search Help, and while importing such a property, in case you miss or do not select the associated Search Help, then to select this Search Help you have to invoke 'Import Properties' again. To import the Search Help associated, you must select and add at least one property (which need not be associated to the Search Help) from the wizard as Service Builder does not consider Search Help an independent artifact.
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