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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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 Query Definition Select filter value
type Filters tab Variables runtime
Infocube/DSO Point 1 Point 2 point 2
Multiprovider on
Cube/DSO Point 1 Point 2 point 2
others master
data objects master data master data 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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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).

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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 only 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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

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.

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 How to Work with F4 Input Help Effectively in BEX

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not
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SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this do cument,
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SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or
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