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Author's profile photo Tomas Buryanek

Tooltip function in New ABAP Editor

Hello SCN,

I just found interesting function in New ABAP Editor. It’s not actually any hidden, but I think not many use it.

UPDATE: from comments it seems it is available in SAP from “EHP6 731” (screenshots are from it)

You can found it in context menu (right click) on code:

tooltip-1.JPG

It has different outputs on different places. For example here is what it shows when used on FM call:

tooltip-2.JPG

It also works on method calls, variables (showing their type) and other code…

What might be very helpful is that you can copy text from tooltip and use it (eg. declare variables of needed type for FM/method call).

Example:

Instance method: GET_DDIC_FIELD
  Returns type description for Dictionary type
IMPORTING
     Value(P_LANGU) TYPE SYLANGU Optional SY-LANGU
        Current Language
RETURNING
     Value(P_FLDDESCR) TYPE DFIES Optional
        Field Description
EXCEPTIONS
      NOT_FOUND
      NO_DDIC_TYPE

Imagine having this tooltip in switchable side panel (similar like “repository browser” in SE80) and interactive on cursor position.

No more double-clicking on methods, functions, variables etc.. to see their type, description…

Wouldn’t that be amazing? 🙂

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      15 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Mark Teichmann
      Mark Teichmann

      Nice function, Tomas. Never saw this before.

      Instead of having this tooltip in a side panel it would be nice if it would be context sensitive. Like the properties window in Lotus Notes, when you change context the content in the tooltip should change, too.

      How often I already wanted to have this functionality somewhere in Windows or SAP Gui...

      Author's profile photo Paul Hardy
      Paul Hardy

      That option just is not there in my system (ECC6.0 / EHP5 / 702 SP13). "Enhancement Operations" is the last one in the list.

      I wonder what version this becomes avaliable in.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Same here we are using SAP GUI 7.30 using ECC6.0 this option is not available for me....Please help me how to get it and what version you are using ?

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      I have seen same info in a different way on 702 release.

      In edit mode,after typing call function 'guid_ and using code completion Ctrl+Space, tooltip popup comes up after 1 or 2 seconds for active entry in list.

      Applying same step to display mode of code, click on FM name in call function statement, do Ctrl+Space and use Up+Down arrows if needed to get tooltip.

      Author's profile photo Tomas Buryanek
      Tomas Buryanek
      Blog Post Author

      Paul: I am confused from SAP version and their names, but screenshot is from "EHP6 731" and GUI 730.

      Manish: yea code completion tooltip is from about 702, I checked "ECC 6.0 700" system and it is not there yet, even tho it has new ABAP editor.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Even I tried this solution also not working for me it not depends on version and GUI we are missing something else anyone know the answer please help me.

      Code Completion Settings - Application Development on AS ABAP - SAP Library

      Author's profile photo Thomas Fiedler
      Thomas Fiedler

      Hi Tomas,

      you dream to have context specific help is already reality with the ABAP development tools for eclipse. As you see in the screenshot you have an own view that displays the Elementinfo of an artifact right beside your editor window. It exactly displays the information of the object where the cursor is positioned in the editor:

      /wp-content/uploads/2014/03/19_03_413879.png

      The same feature is also available for the ABAP help (F1 help). The ABAP help can also be displayed in a separate view in eclipse to show the ABAP help from the marked ABAP keyword in the editor. This ois also very helpful especially in tghe learning phase of ABAP where you often need the docu of the language.

      Do you know ABAP in Eclipse already?

      If not I recommend to have a visit in our community:

      ABAP in Eclipse

      There you find lots of information about the new ABAP developer experience.

      Kind Regards,

      Thomas.

      Author's profile photo Tomas Buryanek
      Tomas Buryanek
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Thomas,

      I know ADT in Eclipse. I would like to use it (used Eclipse in Java programing before), but not all SAP systems I work on support ADT. It also has quite difficult installation, which I couldn't make work through. I might check it again in future...

      But thanks for info! I think it is good way to go/try (ADT) and hopefully somebody else will try it from your comment 🙂

      Author's profile photo Dominik Di Lorenzo
      Dominik Di Lorenzo

      Hi Tomas,

      installation is not as difficult as it was in the past.

      Have a look here:

      SAP Development Tools for Eclipse

      Best regards,

      Dominik

      Author's profile photo Hemadri M
      Hemadri M

      Hi Thomos,

      Excellent observation... and thanks for your information

      Author's profile photo Jyotsna Singam
      Jyotsna Singam

      Useful Info Tomas 🙂

      Author's profile photo Sneha Jadhav
      Sneha Jadhav

      Nice to know this one..I was not aware that tooltip function is available in ABAP Editor.

      Author's profile photo Ashish Patil
      Ashish Patil

      Excellent documentation...Keep sharing

      Thanks a ton.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Useful information. Thanks for sharing.

      Author's profile photo Dominik Di Lorenzo
      Dominik Di Lorenzo

      Hi Tiki, Ashish, Sneha, Jyotsna, Hemadri,

      yes, this articel was excellent, useful and I also was not aware of it before...

      But what you write has no additional value compared to clicking on 'bookmark', 'like' and rate with 5 stars.

      But everytime you write this 'useful', 'excellent' and 'thank you' posts, everyone who wrote something here or is following the topic, gets a message in scn plus depending on settings a mail to the email account.

      I would be very happy, if you use the standard ways of saying 'I like'.

      Best regards,

      Dominik