How to create a Search Help with an Exit

sapuniversity.eu/how-to-create-a-search-help-with-an-exit/

Imen Borgi

Every SAP user knows the user-friendly search help that offers a list of possible values for a
given zone after pressing F4.

Thanks to this option, it is possible to choose easily an entry without any need for
controlling its relevance, since it is automatically supported by the search help functionality.

If you have luck, you would find a standard search help with adequate filters that fulfill your
requirement. But, it is not so obvious to find the right search help!

For instance, the standard search help MAT1 contains several tabs with different filters to
refine the search for material numbers. Even though, it is not possible to fulfill complex
conditions like “Display only materials whose valuation class correspond to a given cost
element group”

In such cases, you need to create your own search help and implement the specific
conditions on your own, using search help exits.

In this blog, I will explain how to create a search help that fulfills the condition mentioned
above:

“Display only materials whose valuation class correspond to a given cost element group”

For those who are not familiar with the concept of valuation classes in MM:

Go to transaction MM03 and choose a material number then select the “Accounting 1”
view
Enter the plant in next popup
then confirm.
The valuation class could be
found under “Current
valuation”.

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 The valuation class permits –in combination with other factors- to determine the G/L
account on which the stock values have to be posted.
G/L accounts are assigned to valuation classes via transaction OBYC.
The FI G/L accounts correspond to primary cost elements in CO. Those are
categorized into cost element groups that could be visualized using transaction
KAH3.

We have now in mind the relationship between valuations classes in MM and cost element
groups in CO. Lets create the search help that realizes our requirement.

First step: Create the search help via SE11

In SE11, choose “Search Help” and enter its name, then click on “Create”.

In the next popup, choose the option “Elementary search help” since we will create a single
tab in the search help.

Enter a description then fill in the

search help parameters:

Importing parameters are

passed at runtime to the
search help. In our example,
it concerns information

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 related to a cost element group, i.e. Group name, company code and controlling
area.
Exporting parameters correspond to the fields displayed in the hit list. These are the
material number and description.
Further parameters could be added such material type and language. These are
filters displayed in the dialog box that enable further restriction of the hit list.

A default value could be assigned to each parameter by filling the column “Default value”.
For example, if you want to display only materials with a specific type, you need just to add
it as a default value.

Fill in the columns LPOS and SPOS with parameters positions in the hit list and the dialog
box respectively.

Keep the dialog type “display values immediately” to display the hit list without going
through a dialog box.

The result looks as follows:

It remains only to add the search help exit.

It is a function module with special parameters.

In SE37, create the function module Z_PS_F4_EXIT_MATNR.

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It is necessary to add the following parameters. Otherwise the search help could not be
activated.

Changing parameters

Table parameters:

Go now back to the search help and activate it

Second step: Implementation of the search help exit.

The search help implementation is structured as follows:

1. Get importing parameters

2. Get dialog box parameters
3. Select material numbers corresponding to a given cost element group
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4. Constitute the result list of the search help

Get importing parametersFor this purpose, use parameter SHLP as follows:

Get dialog box parameters

For this purpose, use parameter SHLP-SELOPT as follows:

Select material numbers corresponding to the selected cost element group

This functionality is splitted into several function modules for reusability.
Create a function module that builds a range of cost elements belonging to a
given group.
Create a structure…..

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…and table type for the range

Go to SE37 and create the function module Z_PS_GET_KSTAR_FROM_GROUP

with the following parameters:

Add the following code:

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 Create a function module that returns materials with valuation classes that
correspond to a given cost element group.
Create the following structure which will contain the parameters needed for valuation
class selection.

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 Create function module Z_PS_GET_RESSOURCE_BY_GRPNAME with following
parameters.

Implement now the function module:

Call the previously created MF Z_PS_GET_KSTAR_FROM_GROUP to get the

range of cost elements belonging to the group in parameter.
Use the following tables to find out the relevant material numbers:
T030: Get valuation classes corresponding to the previously determined cost
elements range
MBEW: get materials that have one of the selected valuation classes

The final code looks as follows:

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Go back to search help exit Z_PS_F4_EXIT_MATNR and add a call to the function module
‘Z_PS_GET_RESSOURCE_BY_GRPNAME’ :

Constitute result list

Select descriptions of materials found in last step. The dialog box parameters have to
be taken into account in the selection.

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Append the result to search help hit list

To recapitulate, here is the

complete code of search help
exit Z_PS_F4_EXIT_MATNR

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Third step: Test the search help
Create a table with the following zones:

Select zone “MATNR” and click on button “Srch Help”.

Enter the search help name

Mapping between search help

parameters and table zones is
done automatically. Just confirm
the generated proposal.

Generate a maintenance dialog for the table to be able to maintain it via SM30.

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Go now to SM30 and add a new entry in the table. Enter group name, company code and
controlling area.

Use the search help of zone “Material” to get relevant values. When you execute it, only
material numbers corresponding to the group name value are listed.

Change the group name and notice the effect in search help result

You can also display the dialog box to enable more filtering options

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Kind Regards
Imen
Sap University Team

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