How To Work With F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX
Applies to:
SAP BI 7.0 developers and Reporting Users. For more information, visit the Business Intelligence home page
Summary
This document helps to overcome the challenges while using F4 help in variable inputs and choosing filter selections. It talks about the introduction to F4 help settings and how they affect input help in Bex analyzer, Web and portal. Author: Sreekanth S
Company: Accenture Services Private Ltd Created on: 21 May 2010
Author Bio
Sreekanth is a SAP BI Consultant in Accenture Services Private Ltd, India. His expertise includes SAP BI and ABAP developments.
SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2010 SAP AG
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Table of Contents
1. Business Scenario .................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Understanding F4 help settings ................................................................................................................. 3 Important points:........................................................................................................................................ 4 3. Different problems with F4 input help ......................................................................................................... 4 3.1 Input help for variable in Bex Analyzer ................................................................................................. 4
3.1.1. Reason and solution .......................................................................................................................................... 5 3.1.2. Change the read mode setting in RSD1 infoobject maintenance ....................................................................... 6
3.2. Attributes values are not available in input help ................................................................................... 6

3.2.1. Solution: ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
3.3. F4 help taking very long time .............................................................................................................. 9

Performance of read modes:........................................................................................................................................ 9 Performance due to ODS: ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Other reasons and solutions ........................................................................................................................................ 9
3.4 Popup message when user entered invalid value ................................................................................. 9 4. F4 help on Web application designer ....................................................................................................... 10 Related Contents ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Disclaimer and Liability Notice ..................................................................................................................... 12
1. Business Scenario
In general, Users face several problems while choosing the input help (F4) for the characteristic variables. Some times they get the input help values which are not required and calling F4 help takes long time due to performance problems. So here we try to discuss about the reasons for these problems and overcome them effectively by applying the respective solutions.
2. Understanding F4 help settings

In general, the following 4 settings are relevant and used for input help of characteristics. Display: Display of Char; Text, Key, Text and key, key and text. Text type: Short, medium and long. Attributes: You can choose certain attributes of char for input help and also we can maintain the sequence. Read mode: In which mode, input values for char to be determined, the modes are Values from master data table(M), values from infoproivder (D) and values from Query navigation(Q) .
Most of the challenges are come due to the read mode setting, so we will know more about this setting. Note: Firstly, I would request you to read the F1 help for read mode settings in infoobject maintenance business explorer tab.
We require input help at 3 places in enterprise reporting. They are

a. While restricting certain values in the filter tab of the query designer b. While executing the query, giving the input for the user entry variable c. Selecting filter values during runtime after executing the query in analyzer or web. So, the below table shows how the input help is initiated at these places for different infoproviders. Infoprovider type Infocube/DSO Multiprovider on Cube/DSO others master data objects Query Definition Filters tab Point 1 Point 1 master data Variables Point 2 Point 2 master data Select filter value runtime point 2 point 2 point 3
Point1: The values are transferred according to the setting of Query definition filter value selection in infoobject maintenance (RSD1) Point2: If the setting for the filter value selection for the query execution as the value "Values in Master Data Table", the system displays the values for the master data table. Otherwise, it displays the values for the dimension table. Point3: Since other Infoproviders do not have a dimension table, the system displays only posted values if you select "Only Posted Values for Navigation". Otherwise, it displays the values from the master data table.
All query execution settings can also be made in Infoprovider level (RSDCUBE/RSDODS), in the context menu of the infoobject Provider-specific properties.
Lastly at also in query designer level, select the char, ZMaterial properties window Advanced tab, here you can choose the read mode setting for input help.
Important points: 1. The settings we make at infoprovider and query designer have no effect on query definition input help, F4 values of char restriction on filters is always drawn from the Query definition settings of infoobject maintenance (RSD1). 2. For variables input help, the query execution setting in RSD1 only initiated. Settings done in infoprovider specific properties and query designer will have no impact on variable input help. Because variables are global not restricted to any particular query. 3. The settings in Infoprovider and query designer are considered as higher levels respectively. So if any higher level setting is made, it overrides the previous level setting.
3. Different problems with F4 input help

3.1 Input help for variable in Bex Analyzer In general, when users are trying to give the input values for variables, they would go to F4 help to choose the required values from available list. But at this place, they may get several values which may not be required for him. Here, we see an example of this problem, A user entry variable is created on ZMATERIAL object, during the execution of the query; we requested for input help to choose the material numbers from the available list. We get lot of material numbers in the list as shown below. But we wanted to see only the materials which are available in Infoprovider.
In this case, Infocube is the infoprovider; we got only 2 material numbers.
So we may want to see only those 2 values in the input help list. 3.1.1. Reason and solution The read mode for the infoobject ZMATERIAL is chosen as values in master data table. By this setting the variable input help is showing all the values from master data table rather than infoprovider.
3.1.2. Change the read mode setting in RSD1 infoobject maintenance Go to RSD1, give the infoobject name Business Explorer tab Query execution filter Val. selection: Values in the infoprovider. If you do not want these settings to effect all the time, you can personalize the variable setting in run time of variable. After choosing the input help, click on settings icon,
In the next screen, choose value restriction tab Read mode setting as Custom only values in infoprovider.
Note: But this personalization works only for that particular time. Next time when you request F4 help, by default you get the values according to RSD1 setting.
3.2. Attributes values are not available in input help

While requesting the input help for the variable, not able to see the attribute values in the list. In earlier versions of BW, when we request F4 help to choose the values, we also get the display of attributes according to the setting which is done at infoobject maintenance (RSD1).
If the characteristic is having a lot of attributes, it is not good to display which are not required. If the value in order help columns shows 0, then it has no display in F4 help. Others will follow the sequence given in the RSD1. The limitation for no. of attributes can be displayed in input help is 40.
3.2.1. Solution:
In Bi 7.0, this setting will have no impact on the input help dialog box in Bex analyzer. However this setting will take effect in query execution in portal and execution in RSRT. If we wanted to see the attribute values in Bex analyzer, we can personalize them while choosing input help. Click on settings Value help dialog Choose Custom Drag to the right window
In the next screen, we will get attribute values in the input help for the characteristic variable.
3.3. F4 help taking very long time Some times when we request for input help it takes long time to display values, there are several reason for this poor performance. We will go through the reasons and solutions here. Performance of read modes: In general, Q mode is slowest M mode is the fastest among all the available modes for getting filter values. When we have large no. of time dependant master data D mode is better than M mode due to existence of indexes on the dimension tables. Note: For a line item dimension D is mode is as good as M mode. Performance due to ODS: In 3.x, D mode i.e. only values in infoprovider setting is on ly used for Infocubes, as part of Bi 7.0; it is also applicable to DSO. Therefore, we encounter performance problems while using F4 help on DSO. In this case, the following actions are to be taken. Improving the runtime of the input help by using an additional index for the characteristic in the DataStore object. Changing the input help for the characteristic in transaction RSD1 to M mode (master data table).
Other reasons and solutions A long runtime of the input help is frequently caused by compounding the characteristics involved. In this case, the "smaller" or more restrictive of the two characteristics should be preselected, either in the query or runtime of the query. If the value set of Navigational attributes is too large, then there may be performance while calling input help. In this case, we can make a following entry in RSADMIN table, Go to SE11, RSADMIN table; create an entry with following options. OBJECT = RSDM_F4_NO_XYTAB_JOIN VALUE = X In addition to this, Support correction which is given in SAP note 581079 must be implemented. 3.4 Popup message when user entered invalid value If suppose, User entered an invalid value which is not Infoprovider, then you would want to display pop up saying that Enter correct value for VAR. For this, a Standard function module 'RRMS_MESSAGE_HANDLING' is used in the variable exit code of the enhancement RSR00001. This function would be called in I_STEP = 3.
4. F4 help on Web application designer

F4 dialog from a variable screen always displays text and key only irrespective of the setting for key and text or text and key, since the aim of the dialog is to display both and not concerning the order. Whenever the characteristic texts are not available, the dialog always displays the "Key and key" format. In the Bex Java Web, at present, you can make settings for the input help only using InfoObject maintenance. You can no longer change these settings subsequently on the variable screen. There are certain differences while using F4 help in Bex Analyzer and WAD, these are clearly explained in the SAP note 375470.
Related Contents
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/ae/1e9b3c334d8c15e10000000a114084/frameset.htm SAP Note 1080863 - FAQ on F4 input help in Bi SAP Note 984229 - F4 modes for input help SAP Bi 7.0 SAP Note 796737 - F4 modes in Bw 3.x SAP Note 748623 - F4 has a very long time - recommendations For more information, visit the Business Intelligence homepage.
Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade. SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this do cument, and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk. SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the conte nt of this document.

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Company: Accenture Services Private Ltd Created on: 21 May 2010

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK 2010 SAP AG

SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BOC - boc.sap.com 1