Enterprise Search - problem adding fields from one Node to the Response Attributes of another Node

[martin_E]

Our developers are attempting modify to an already modified Enterprise Search template; It's a copy of the standard MATERIAL template, copied into our own Software Component.

This is a screenshot of the "Define Nodes" step; pretty standard in comparison to the standard template. In fact the only changes are that our Z fields have been added to the MATERIAL node and we have added some stock level variables MABST and BSBE to the MATERIAL_PLANT node.

When we try to update the MATERIAL node Response Attributes (in "Define Search Settings") with these new fields from the MATERIAL_PLANT node (plus the WERKS field) the MATERIAL_PLANT node is not available for selection.

We would like some advice or insight to understand why fields from the MATERIAL_DESCRIPTION node can be added to Response Attributes of the MATERIAL NODE, while fields from the MATERIAL_PLANT node cannot. This is despite (to our untrained eyes) the underlying tables having similar structures;

• Material Description is table MAKT, with a key of MANDT, MATNR, SPRAS;
• Plant Data is table MARC, with a key of MANDT, MATNR, WERKS;

System is Netweaver 702 SP16 running ECC6 EHP5.

thanks very much

[martin_E]

Hi Christine,

The background is that the customer has requested plant data to be shown in one of the Material Master search help screens; we have worked around this problem by modifying the appropriate Search Help Exit to do a select on the MARC table for any materials returned.

We have already copied the standard MATERIAL template into our own Software Component, before doing any of our own enhancements. The original issue is that we do not appear to be able to add fields from the MATERIAL_PLANT node to the MATERIAL node. We spent a lot of time on this because we were getting multiple hits in the result set (one per Material / Plant) on our enterprise search results, but no MATERIAL_PLANT data being returned (not even the Plant number).

thanks

[christine_morin]

Hello,

To customize the MATERIAL node, you will need to create a custom Software Component first in ESH_MODELER such as ZSAP_APPL. Then you can include the relevant delivered Software Component SAP_APPL. Only now you can select the data model that you want to enhance under the new custom Software Component.

You will be able to enhance the existing model (for instance, adding new requests or response attributes).
Note that it will not be possible to change or delete anything that is part of SAP's standard delivery.

Regards

Christine