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ABAP_DDIC - Semantic Properties of Data Elements The semantic properties of data elements are mainly significant when they are used as types of fields on user interfaces BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT such as dynpro or Web Dynpro END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT . The only exceptions to this are the default component name and the flag for the change document. ABAP data objects declared with reference to a data element ignore the semantic properties of the data element.
Short text Short text of the data element. BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT The short text of a data element appears as a header in a field help of all dynpro fields or Web Dynpro fields defined with a direct or indirect reference to the data element. END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT
Field label The short, medium, and long field labels assigned to a data element, as well as the header, can be used on screens BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT of dynpros or Web Dynpros END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT as descriptions or column names for fields defined with direct or indirect reference to a data element. A user-defined maximum length, which has varying upper limits for the different field labels, must be set. It applies to all languages.
Documentation Documentation of the data element. BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT The documentation created for a data element appears by default as field help for all dynpro fields or Web Dynpro fields defined with a direct or indirect reference to the data element. If no documentation was created, only the short text appears. END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT
Supplementary documentation A data element can have supplementary documentation objects, with each documentation object identified by a four-digit number. This supplementary documentation can be used for program-specific and dynpro-specific field helps. The assignment of supplementary documentation to a dynpro field is stored in the DDIC database table THLPF. END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT
Documentation status The status of the documentation for a data element can be noted as follows for any check tools:
Object is documented
The default setting, indicating that the data element has documentation.
Object not used on a screen
The data element is not intended for screen fields BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT of dynpro fields or Web Dynpro fields END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT and no documentation is required.
Object is documented by its short text.
The short text provides enough documentation.
Documentation is currently on hold
The data element requires documentation, but it does not yet exist.
Search help A data element with an elementary data type can be assigned a search help and a parameter can be passed to this search help. BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT This search help is used for the input help of all dynpro fields or Web Dynpro fields defined with direct or indirect reference to the data element, unless the dynpro field is itself linked with a search help. END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT Search helps cannot be assigned to a data element with a reference type.
SPA/GPA parameter A data element with an elementary data type can be linked with an SPA/GPA parameter. BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT Dynpro fields defined with direct or indirect reference to the data element can be filled with the content of the parameter, unless the dynpro field is itself linked with an SPA/GPA parameter. END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT A data element with a reference type cannot be linked with an SPA/GPA parameter.
Flag for input history The flag for the input history defines whether the input history BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT in SAP GUI END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT is active for BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT dynpro END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT fields defined with direct or indirect reference to the data element. This makes it possible to switch the input history off for sensitive fields.
Flag for bidirectional fonts These flags define the behavior of BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT dynpro fields or Web Dynpro END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT fields defined with direct or indirect reference to the data element when handling bidirectional fonts (such as Hebrew or Arabic).
Writing direction
This flag can specify the writing direction of a BEGIN_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT dynpro END_SECTION VERSION 5 OUT field as from left to right, which overwrites the direction from right to left specified by logons in a bidirectional font. This flag can be useful for fields with numeric texts.
<(>BIDI<)> filter
This flag can be used to prevent the Unicode formatting characters that affect the writing direction of bidirectional fonts in data transports between GUI and AS ABAP from being filtered out, regardless of the global system settings. The global system setting is made in the program I18N_SET_DATAELEMENT_FLAGS.
Default component name The default component name of a data element is a naming suggestion for structure components or table fields defined with reference to this data element. Structures used in APIs in particular should follow this proposal.
Flag for change document The flag for change documents specifies whether changes to fields in DDIC database tables defined with reference to this data element are logged when change document objects are involved. A change document object groups multiple tables and is used to generate function modules that can be integrated into ABAP programs and that log changes. This flag cannot be set for data elements with a reference type.
Further semantic properties can be defined in the domain referenced by a data element. The texts in the semantic properties (the short text, field labels, and documentation) are, like all AS ABAP texts, connected to the translation tools.
Latest notes: NON_V5_HINTS Consumers must consider that many semantic properties of a data element define the behavior of dynpro fields or Web Dynpro fields. For example, a data element whose documentation describes the internal properties of a technical type is not usually suitable for use in UI fields. One example are the data elements SYST_... that define the components of the system structure SYST. The documentation of these data elements describes the corresponding system fields and should not appear on a UI. Ideally, separate data elements with different semantic properties are created for UIs, use in programs, and DDIC database tables. Any data elements not used for UI fields do not usually require semantic properties except for the short text and possibly documentation if the short text is not sufficient. Conversely, properties such as the flag for change documents are not relevant for data elements for UIs. ABAP_HINT_END
