Selection-Screen F4-help for Predefined Date Type 'd'

[SuhaSaha]

Apparently if a (selection) screen element is defined using the predefined ABAP-Type 'd', the automatic date help is not displayed. Tbh, i came across this problem for the first time today, when defining a utility report (for PoC purposes).

PARAMETERS:
  p_date1 TYPE d, " Without default 'date' help
  p_date2 TYPE dats. " With default 'date' help

I checked on the internet found that this problem is there since ages. However i couldn't find any relevant SAP documentation.

I have the following questions:

• Why this restriction for 'd'?
• Is this defined somewhere in the ABAP documentation? If not, shouldn't it be?

BR,

Suhas

[raymond_giuseppi]

The online documentation (Hierarchy of the Search Help Call) states that 'The calendar help and time help are automatically provided for fields with data type DATS and TIMS'. So not automatic for TYPE D but for TYPE DATS.

[SuhaSaha]

Thanks for the link.

I was assuming that since DATS is internally assigned to 'D', the calendar-help for 'D' should also be provided automatically.

[raymond_giuseppi]

IMHO the main point is that TYPE d is only an Abap type, when TYPE dats is a ddic type.

[SuhaSaha]

Exactly, i get your point. I was under the assumption, that's all 😕