A search help is a ABAP Dictionary object used to define possible values (F4) help. There are two kinds of search help - elementary and collective. An elementary search help uses a search path to determine the possible entries. A collective search help consists of two or more elementary search helps, and thus provides more than one possible search path.

To display or change the link between a logical database and a search help, choose Search helps from the initial screen of the Logical Database Builder or use the navigation function from another component.

Here, you can assign a search help to the logical database by choosing from a list. You can also delete the link between the logical database and an existing search help.

In deciding which search help is appropriate for the logical database, you must consider its content. For example, if you create a logical database that reads creditor records, the creditor number should be one of the output fields of the search help. The contents of the output fields of the search help are available to the logical database at runtime for the actual database access. There are two ways of finding information about the output fields of a search help. You can either use the ABAP Dictionary, or enter a search help and then look at the ensuing list.

To enable the user to use the search help, you must declare a special parameter in the selection include using the addition AS SEARCH PATTERN. The system interprets the user’s input on the selection screen and reads the value list from the database. The values are made available to the database program in the internal table <ldb>_SP, and the subroutine PUT_<ldb>_SP is called instead of PUT_<root>. <ldb> is the name of the logical database, and <root> is the name of the root node. This subroutine can use the value list in <ldb>_SP to read the actual data and trigger the GET <root> event using the PUT_<root> statement.

The statement

PARAMETERS <p> AS SEARCH PATTERN FOR TABLE <node>.

defines a framework in the selection include for a search help on the selection screen.

The key fields returned by the search help are placed in the internal table <ldb>_SP, from where they can be used by the database program. The subroutine PUT_<ldb>_SP is then called instead of PUT_<root> (where <ldb> is the name of the logical database).

In the subroutine PUT_<ldb>_SP, the logical database can use the information from the internal table to make the actual database access more efficient.