Freely programmed search help

Webdynpro Framework allow us to create our own webdynpro component and use that component to provide and input help to the field. This type of providing search help is called freely programmed search help.

How to use the component as a search help component to an attribute?

One pre-requisite for the webdynpro component to be used as search help is that it should implement the webdynpro component interface IWD_VALUE_HELP. By the time we are implementing the interface an window will be created in our component with the name WD_VALUE_HELP. We need to embed the View of our component to window WD_VALUE_HELP  so that our view will be displayed as search help when the user triggers the F4. Later on this component created for providing search help can be added as a used component and its component usage can be assigned to the attribute for which search help type is assigned as freely programmed search help.

Where to write the processing logic to display the list of possible values?

The view which is embedded to the window WD_VALUE_HELP will be displayed when the user triggers the F4 help. Hence we can design the layout and the processing logic to display the  data based on input can be implemented in the view itself.

The list of possible values will be displayed in the view that is embedded to the window WD_VALUE_HELP.  How to transport the user selected value back to the place from where F4 help is called?

When the User selects a particular value and clicks on ok button the user selected value has to be written in the input field from where the F4 help is called. The interface IWD_VALUE_HELP consist of two key attributes called F4_CONTEXT_ELEMENT and F4_ATTRIBUTE_INFO. This attribute F4_ATTRIBUTE_INFO consist of information on attribute from where the F4 help is triggered and the attribute F4_CONTEXT_ELEMENT consist element object reference for the attribute from where the input help is triggered. Using these information in the attribute we can transport the user selected value to the attribute from where the F4 help is called.

Will the values selected to an attribute using the freely programmed search help be captured in the Context change log?

No, Just like in OVS Search help we need to write the record explicitly to the context change log table.

Refer to the SAP Link for More information on freely programmed search help:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/47/9ef8cc9b5e3c5ce10000000a421937/frameset.htm

Let us see an simple scenario that implements the freely programmed search help.

Scenario: Provide the freely programmed search help to the attribute CARRID. Design a webdynpro component that provides the list of possible airline ID and use that component to provide search help for the attribute CARRID.