Returning Values from Search Help Exits: A Guide for ABAP Developers
Search helps are a powerful tool in SAP for allowing users to easily search and select values from a database table. However, sometimes you need to manipulate the data returned from the search help or add additional information before presenting it to the user. This is where search help exits come in.
This article explains how to return values from a search help exit and enhance the user experience.
Scenario: Customizing Search Help Results
Imagine you have a screen field that uses a search help to look up customer names. The search help returns a list of customers, including their name, ID, and city. However, you want to display the customer's phone number along with the other details.
Original Code (Search Help Exit):
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*& Report Z_SEARCH_HELP_EXIT
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*&
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*& Form EXIT_SAPLSHLP_001
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*& --> Include 'LSHLPEXIT'
*&
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
FORM exit_saplshlp_001.
DATA: wa_output LIKE LINE OF gt_output.
LOOP AT gt_output INTO wa_output.
" ... (Code to retrieve phone number based on customer ID) ...
" ... (Add phone number to wa_output) ...
APPEND wa_output TO gt_output.
ENDLOOP.
ENDFORM.
This code accesses the output table gt_output provided by the search help and attempts to add the phone number to each record. However, this approach is problematic:
- No control over output structure: The code assumes that the
gt_outputtable already has a field for the phone number, which is not always the case. - No clear distinction between input and output: The code modifies the original
gt_outputtable, potentially altering the intended behavior of the search help.
Improved Solution: Utilizing a Separate Output Structure
A better approach is to create a new structure that includes all the desired fields and then populate it with the relevant data.
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*& Report Z_SEARCH_HELP_EXIT
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*&
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*& Form EXIT_SAPLSHLP_001
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*& --> Include 'LSHLPEXIT'
*&
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
FORM exit_saplshlp_001.
DATA: wa_output LIKE LINE OF gt_output.
DATA: wa_new_output LIKE LINE OF gt_new_output. " Define your new output structure
LOOP AT gt_output INTO wa_output.
" ... (Code to retrieve phone number based on customer ID) ...
wa_new_output-name = wa_output-name.
wa_new_output-id = wa_output-id.
wa_new_output-city = wa_output-city.
wa_new_output-phone = ... " Phone number retrieved
APPEND wa_new_output TO gt_new_output.
ENDLOOP.
gt_output = gt_new_output. " Overwrite the original output table
ENDFORM.
This code snippet:
- Defines a new output structure
gt_new_outputwith the desired fields. - Populates the new structure with data from the original
gt_outputtable and the retrieved phone number. - Replaces the original output table with the new one using
gt_output = gt_new_output.
This ensures that the returned data is formatted as you require and that you don't modify the original search help output unnecessarily.
Additional Considerations
- Error handling: Handle potential errors when retrieving data, such as missing phone numbers.
- Performance: Optimize code for efficiency, especially when dealing with large datasets.
- Documentation: Clearly document the purpose and functionality of the search help exit for future maintenance.
By using a separate output structure and carefully managing the data flow, you can effectively customize the values returned from a search help exit and provide a more user-friendly experience.
References:
