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Documentation

ote Assistant

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AP NetWeaver 2004s

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ocument Version 1.10 – December 09, 2005

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Note Assistant

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Contents

History of Changes ...................................................................................... 5 What´s New................................................................................................... 5

Note Assistant ...................................................................................6 1 SAP Notes............................................................................................7 2 Activating the Note Assistant ............................................................7 3 Registering Manually Implemented SAP Notes ...............................8 4 Working with SAP Notes ....................................................................9

4.1 Searching for an SAP Note.................................................................. 10 4.2 Loading an SAP Note........................................................................... 11 4.3 Note Display ......................................................................................... 12 4.4 Classifying SAP Notes......................................................................... 13 4.5 Implementing Correction Instructions ............................................... 14

4.5.1 SAP Note Queue ........................................................................................................16 4.5.2 Confirming Correction Implementation .......................................................................16 4.5.3 Object Changes Display .............................................................................................17 4.5.4 The Splitscreen Editor.................................................................................................18 4.5.5 Technical Details on Correction Instructions ..............................................................19

4.6 Note Log................................................................................................ 21 4.7 Updating an SAP Note ......................................................................... 21 4.8 Checking Support Packages............................................................... 22

5 Implementation Status and Processing Status of SAP Notes......24 5.1 Implementation Status......................................................................... 24 5.2 Processing Status ................................................................................ 24

6 Troubleshooting................................................................................26

Note Assistant

15.07.05 5

History of Changes Version Changes

1.00 New document

1.10 Enhancement Framework objects can be implemented using the Note Assistant as of SAP NetWeaver 2004s, Basis Support Package 4. For more information, see: Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19]

What´s New Changes have been made to the following functions.

• Note implementation Previously, the Note Assistant could only implement corrections to ABAP source code.

It is now possible to implement corrections to other ABAP repository objects, such as properties, parameters and definitions. For more information about the object types that are now supported, see Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19]

It is also now possible to create new objects by implementing a note.

These changes reduce the number of extra manual tasks necessary both before and after implementation of the Note.

• Note Display Interface The note display interface has been adapted so as to take account of these changes. The various parts of the corrections contained in the Note are placed in a tree structure, and can be displayed individually in a detail display.

The Note text is now displayed in PDF format.

The note log has been integrated into the tree structure.

Note Assistant

Note Assistant Use The Note Assistant (transaction SNOTE) helps you when working with SAP Notes [page 7]. You can use it to load SAP Notes into your system from the SAP Service Marketplace or SAPNet - R/3 Frontend.

After you have loaded the SAP Notes you need into your system, you can automatically implement the corrections (correction instructions [page 19]) contained in the notes in your system.

Features The Note Assistant includes the following functions:

• Reporting You can display an overview of all existing SAP Notes and their processing status, as well as all implemented corrections.

• Project Administration You can assign SAP Notes to users who then specify a processing status for the notes. The system informs you if an SAP Note has an inconsistent status.

• Logging The system logs all processing steps.

• Correcting Errors You can automatically implement the corrections (correction instructions) contained in SAP Notes into your system.

• Integration When you import a Support Package or upgrade, the system automatically recognizes which notes have been implemented by an imported Support Package or new upgrade, and which correction instructions still need to be implemented.

Activities • Your worklist contains SAP Notes in the following categories:

SAP Notes that are assigned to you as a user.

All SAP Notes that are inconsistent, even if they are assigned to another user.

New SAP Notes that are not yet being processed.

• Choose Download SAP Note [page 11] to download Notes using an RFC connection. You can also load SAP Notes from the SAP Service Marketplace and then perform an Upload.

• You can use the Note Browser [page 10] to find any SAP Note in the system.

• The note display [page 12] enables you to read the Note carefully and view the changes made to the source code of ABAP programs and to other repository objects.

• Choose Check Note to check the Implementation Status [page 24].

• You can classify the SAP Note [page 13] and specify the processing status [page 24].

• You can implement the correction instructions [page 14] that are contained in the Note and then remove them if necessary.

• In the Log [page 21], you can display the processing steps and add your own comments.

• By choosing Corrected Objects, you can switch to the modification browser, where you can see all the objects that have been corrected by an SAP Note.

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• After you have imported a Support Package, you can use the Modification Assistant to perform follow-up activities [page 22].

• You choose Download Latest Version of SAP Note [page 21] to compare the version of the SAP Notes that are in your system with the latest version of the SAP Notes in the SAPNet – R/3 Frontend. If a newer version ofthe SAP Note is available, the system downloads it.

See also:

Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19]

1 SAP Notes SAP Notes give you instructions on how to remove known errors from SAP systems. They include a description of the symptoms, the cause of the error, and the SAP Release and Support Package level in which the error occurs.

Depending on the type of error, an SAP Note may also include:

• Workarounds

• Descriptions of how to correct repository objects in the ABAP workbench, known as correction instructions

• Links to Support Packages that solve the problem You can access SAP Notes both from the SAP Service Marketplace and SAPNet - R/3 Frontend.

The Note Assistant can automatically implement only SAP Notes that have correction instructions.

Read the SAP Note carefully before you use the Note Assistant to implement it. The SAP Note can contain prerequisites, interactions, and references to postprocessing activities (making changes to a table, for example) that you must take into consideration when you implement it.

See also: Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19]

2 Activating the Note Assistant Use Before you can start using the Note Assistant, you first have to prepare your system for working with the Note Assistant.

There are different ways in which you can load SAP Notes into your system. You can download SAP Notes directly from the SAPNet – R/3 Frontend, or you can use the Note Assistant to upload SAP Notes that you have already loaded from the SAP Service Marketplace. For information regarding the pros and cons of these different procedures, see Loading an SAP Note [page 11].

If you want to download an SAP Note [page 11] from the SAPNet - R/3 Frontend, you first need to activate an RFC connection.

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Note Assistant

Procedure ...

1. Define the system change option (transaction SE03). Set the following:

a. For the software components in which you want to implement the SAP Notes, set the status to Restricted modifiability or Modifiable.

b. For the software component with the technical name SAP_NOTES, set the status to Modifiable.

c. For the general SAP namespace, set the status to Modifiable. 2. If you want to load SAP Notes from the SAPNet - R/3 Frontend, you need to create an RFC

connection.

To do this, call transaction OSS1. This creates a connection to SAPNet – R/3 Frontend. This connection is currently called SAPOSS.

If you want to load SAP Notes from the SAP Service Marketplace and then upload them into your system by note upload [page 11], then you do not need an RFC connection.

3. If you have already implemented SAP Notes in your system but you did not use the Note Assistant, you have to inform the system of the SAP Notes that you implemented manually.

To do this, execute the SCWN_REGISTER_NOTES program with the ABAP Editor (transaction SE38). (See also: Registering Manually Implemented SAP Notes [page 8])

4. To view the note text correctly in the Note Assistant, install Adobe Reader Version 7.0.1 or higher on your computer.

3 Registering Manually Implemented SAP Notes Use If you implemented corrections contained in SAP Notes in your SAP System before you installed the Note Assistant, you can make this known to the Note Assistant retroactively. This is important since the Note Assistant cannot automatically recognize whether a correction was implemented manually in your system without using the Note Assistant.

Registration offers the following benefits:

• All the SAP Notes that have been implemented in your system are displayed in the Note Browser.

• If a manually implemented SAP Note is a prerequisite for an SAP Note that you want to implement using the Note Assistant, the Note Assistant recognizes that the prerequisite SAP Note has already been implemented and does not prompt you to implement it again.

• For future Support Packages or upgrades, the manually implemented SAP Notes are displayed during the modification adjustment in the category SAP Note Corrections. The system determines whether these SAP Notes have to be implemented again or reset to their original status.

Prerequisites You have implemented SAP Notes manually without the Note Assistant.

Procedure ...

1. Call the SCWN_REGISTER_NOTES program with the ABAP Editor (transaction SE38).

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2. On the input screen of the program, enter the numbers of the completely implemented SAP Notes that you want to register.

3. This may lead to the following situations:

If you have created an RFC connection [page 7] to the SAPNet - R/3 Frontend, the program automatically loads the SAP Notes that are to be registered into the database of your system.

If you have not created an RFC connection, first you must load the SAP Notes that are to be registered from the SAP Service Marketplace. Then perform an Upload [page 11] in the Note Assistant.

The program checks whether the SAP Notes are valid for your release and Support Package level. The system also checks whether the SAP Notes have already been registered in the Note Assistant as implemented.

The system displays the results of these checks in a list.

4. To register the SAP Note, choose Execute.

To register an SAP Note as implemented, the system must enter the SAP Note together with the objects that are corrected by this SAP Note in a change request. By transporting this request you also register the SAP Notes in your follow-on systems as implemented. If you cannot enter the SAP Note and its objects in a request (because some objects are locked by other requests, for example), the system terminates registration.

Result The system registers the valid SAP Notes that have been implemented manually as completely implemented in your system, and automatically sets the processing status to Completed. Every SAP Note has a log entry in which the time and the user who triggered the registration are recorded. Invalid SAP Notes cannot be registered as implemented. This is not necessary since these corrections have already been imported into your system in the form of a Support Package. The processing status of these SAP Notes is automatically set to not relevant.

4 Working with SAP Notes If you want to use the Note Assistant to correct an error in the program, proceed as follows:

Prerequisites You know the number of the SAP Note that contains the correction for the error in question.

You have created an RFC connection [page 7] (for downloading SAP Notes).

You have informed the Note Assistant of any manually implemented SAP Notes. (See also: Registering Manually Implemented SAP Notes [page 8])

Procedure ...

1. Load [page 11] the SAP Note into your system.

When you do this, the Note Assistant checks whether the validities that are specified in the SAP Note (software component, release version, and Support Package level) correspond with those in the system. The Note Assistant indicates whether the corrections can be implemented.

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Note Assistant

Only SAP notes that contain corrections to certain ABAP Workbench repository objects can be implemented. For more information, see Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19].

2. Read the description of the SAP Note carefully.

The Note description may contain prerequisites, interactions, and references to postprocessing activities (making changes to a table, for example) that are not automatically recognized by the Note Assistant. If you do not take this information into consideration, fatal errors may occur. You must therefore read the SAP Note before you start to implement it.

2. Decide whether the SAP Note is relevant for you. Classify [page 13] the SAP Note according to the processing status.

3. Implement [page 14] the corrections.

4. If postprocessing activities are specified in the SAP Note, perform them now.

5. Test whether the error has been corrected.

6. Set the processing status to Completed.

7. Release the transport request and import the corrections into the follow-up systems in your system landscape.

See also:

• Finding an SAP Note [page 10]

• Loading an SAP Note [page 11]

• Classifying SAP Notes [page 13]

• Implementing Correction Instructions [page 14]

4.1 Searching for an SAP Note Use You can use the Note Browser to find any SAP Note that is available in the system. The Note Browser also displays SAP Notes that are assigned to another user, and SAP Notes that have already been implemented.

Prerequisites You can load SAP Notes into your system from SAPNet - R/3 Frontend or the SAP Service Marketplace. For more information, see Loading an SAP Note [page 11].

Procedure ...

1. Select one of the following criteria for the SAP Note:

Note Number

Application component

Processing status

Implementation Status

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Note Assistant

Processor

2. Choose whether you want to

Limit the selection to certain software components and their releases

Sort the SAP Notes according to their number or to their corresponding application component

3. Confirm the selection.

Result The SAP Notes are listed together with their number, short text, component, processing status, implementation status, and user. You can also implement the SAP Notes from the Note Browser.

4.2 Loading an SAP Note Use You can load SAP Notes into your system from the SAP Service Marketplace or SAPNet - R/3 Frontend. You can do this using an RFC connection (SAP Note download) or with the file transfer method (SAP Note upload).

The SAP Note download has the following advantages:

• When you download an SAP Note, you can use the Note Assistant to load it directly into your system from SAPNet - R/3 Frontend.

• If other SAP Notes are entered as prerequisites in an SAP Note, the Note Assistant automatically downloads the prerequisite SAP Notes during the implementation (Implementing Correction Instructions [page 14]).

• You can download updated versions of SAP Notes at the press of a button (Updating an SAP Note [page 21]).

To download an SAP Note, you must create an RFC connection to the SAPNet – R/3 Frontend.

Uploading an SAP Note does not require a permanent RFC connection to the SAPNet – R/3 Frontend. To upload the note, you first download the required SAP Note from the SAP Service Marketplace and save it locally on your front-end PC. You then use the Note Assistant to upload the SAP Note.

Prerequisites • Note download: You have created an RFC connection to the SAPNet – R/3 Frontend.

(See also: Activating the Note Assistant [page 7])

• Note upload: You have installed the SAP Download Manager, which enables you to load SAP Notes from the SAP Service Marketplace. You can find the SAP Download Manager in the SAP Service Marketplace, under service.sap.com/download-basket → Get Download Manager.

Procedure

SAP Note Download ...

1. In the Note Assistant, choose SAP Note Download.

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Note Assistant

2. Specify the numbers of the SAP Notes that you want to download.

Use the selection function to load one SAP Note or a list of SAP Notes.

3. Confirm the selection. The system loads the SAP Notes from SAPNet – R/3 Frontend into your database.

SAP Note Upload ...

1. Select the correct SAP Note in the SAP Service Marketplace under service.sap.com/notes.

2. Choose Download. The SAP Note is added to your download basket. You can repeat this action for as many SAP Notes as you require.

3. To save the SAP Notes locally on your PC, start the SAP Download Manager. Choose Download. The SAP Notes are loaded as files into the directory you have specified.

4. Use the upload function in the Note Assistant (Goto → Upload SAP Note) to load the SAP Note files into your system.

Result After you have successfully downloaded or uploaded an SAP Note that did not previously exist in your system, the processing status of this SAP Note is set as new in the SAP Note overview.

4.3 Note Display Use The Note Display shows the entire contents of an SAP Note. From within the Note Display, you can start the Note implementation [page 14] or Note removal, set the processor and processing status [page 24], check the implementation status [page 24] and download the most up-to-date version of the Note from the SAP Service Marketplace.

Prerequisites You have already downloaded the Note to be displayed from the SAP Service Marketplace. See also Loading an SAP Note [page 11].

Features The Note Display consists of three subareas:

• Navigation area (left)

• Key attributes (upper right)

Note that the key attributes area might be completely masked by the detail display, depending on the size of your SAP window. You can make the key attributes visible by moving the upper edge of the detail display with your mouse.

• Detailed display (bottom right) In the navigation area, all the parts of an SAP Note are arranged in a tree structure. Double-clicking a node displays the key attributes of the selected part, as well as its details in the right-hand section of the screen. The following parts can be displayed for an SAP Note:

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Note Assistant

• By double-clicking on the Note number in the highest node of the navigation area, you can display the Note text in PDF format.

• By double-clicking on the Note log [page 21], you can display all log messages for the note.

• Correction instructions [page 19] for the Note. A Note may contain one or more correction instructions. You can view these by expanding the Corrections node. Double-clicking on the number of a correction instruction displays information about its validity, as well as prerequisite correction instructions, in the detailed display.

• If you expand the node for a correction instruction, you are shown a list of the repository objects that are corrected by this correction instruction.

• If you expand the node of a repository object, the system displays a number of subobjects. Subobjects of a repository object can be either source code parts or table contents that describe the object. If you double-click on one of the subobjects, the system displays the changes made by the correction instruction in the source code and in the associated table contents.

The display showing changes to table contents is primarily aimed at experts and very experienced users and is designed to help SAP Support when analyzing problems. When implementing a Note, you can usually ignore this display.

4.4 Classifying SAP Notes Use You can use this function to specify the relevance or processing status [page 24] of an SAP Note.

Procedure ...

1. Read the SAP Note carefully and decide whether its contents apply to the situation in your system.

2. Follow the procedure below: If the SAP Note is relevant for your situation, set its processing status to In process.

This informs other users that you are processing this SAP Note.

Follow the precise recommendations in the SAP Note. If the SAP Note contains correction instructions, implement them in your system.

If you want to assign the SAP Note to another user, specify the name of this user.

Every action that you perform is recorded in a note log. You can also enter your own comments there, for example for another user.

If the SAP Note is not relevant for your situation, set its processing status to Not relevant.

The system will then indicate to you and all other users that this SAP Note can be ignored.

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Note Assistant

See also:

Implementation Status and Processing Status of SAP Notes [page 24]

Note Log [page 21]

4.5 Implementing Correction Instructions Use You can implement the correction instructions that are contained in an SAP Note. If you have modified the objects that you need to correct, you can adjust the corrections to your modifications.

Procedure ...

1. To implement the correction instructions in an SAP Note in your system, select the note on the initial screen of the Note Assistant and choose Implement Note. The system first checks which correction instructions in the SAP Note correspond to your system release and Support Package level.

The system also checks whether you need to have implemented corrections from any other SAP Notes as a prerequisite for implementing the current correction. If this is the case, the system displays the SAP Notes in question in a dialog box.

If you have an RFC connection to SAPNet – R/3 Frontend, you can automatically download these SAP Notes by confirming the dialog box.

If this is not the case, load the prerequisite SAP Notes from the SAP Service Marketplace and use the Note Assistant to upload them.

If these SAP Notes are relevant for your system and have to be implemented as prerequisites, they will be listed in the order in which they need to be implemented. (See also: SAP Note Queue [page 16]). If the prerequisite SAP Notes are not relevant (because they have already been implemented by way of a Support Package, for example) and therefore do not need to be implemented, the Note Assistant will automatically assign the corresponding status and will not display the respective SAP Notes in the list. You can find these SAP Notes by calling the Note Browser and selecting according to the processing status Not relevant.

Read the prerequisite SAP Notes carefully.

If possible, the system will implement all prerequisite corrections in one single step.

Before the system corrects the objects, it displays a dialog box for selecting the change request.

2. Select a suitable change request or create a new one. The SAP Note (R3TR NOTE) is entered in this request, together with all the correction instructions (R3TR CINS) and all modified objects, . You can use this request to transport the corrections into other follow-on systems.

Note that all the objects that you want to correct must be entered in the same request as the SAP Note data. This is the only way to make sure that the corrections are made in full in the follow-on systems.

You do not need an SSCR key to implement SAP Note corrections automatically.

3. A dialog box appears listing all the objects that you want to modify. A traffic light symbol indicates whether or not the system can implement the correction automatically. (See also: Confirming Correction Implementation [page 16]).

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Clicking the name of the object takes you to the Changes Display [page 17], which shows you all of the changes.

If you have previously modified the source texts that you want to correct, the SAP Note is flagged with a yellow icon. You can adjust the corrections to your modifications. See also: Splitscreen Editor [page 18].

This type of adjustment is not possible for non-source text type repository objects or subobjects. You must perform any adjustments that may be required in the relevant object editor, either before or after the Note implementation.

If you make manual changes when you implement SAP Notes, the system cannot tell whether these corrections have been implemented correctly. For this reason, you must confirm in an additional dialog box that the corrections have been implemented in full.

If the system cannot implement a correction automatically, although you have not modified the relevant objects, first try to implement the SAP Note by using the split-screen editor. If automatic implementation fails, this is usually due to small discrepancies in the source code.

If you still cannot implement the SAP Note, it probably contains errors. If this is the case, contact SAP Support. To do so, create a problem message and assign it to the component of the SAP Note (FI-AR-CR, for example).

4. When you confirm the dialog box containing the list of repository objects to be corrected, the system initially saves the modified objects in the database as inactive versions only. In the dialog step that follows, the system then asks you to activate the modified objects. The corrections only take effect in your system after you have performed this activation. As part of this activation procedure, the system checks the syntax of the modified objects. If an error is found, the system cancels activation. Syntax errors of this kind can be caused either by modifications or by errors in the Note. If the latter applies, contact SAP Support.

Note that the system can only automatically implement changes made to certain object types. (See also: Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19])

If other changes are necessary (for example, to ABAP Dictionary objects), these are described in the text of the SAP Note. You need to implement these changes in the system manually.

5. After you have implemented the corrections, test the function that contained the error and check whether the original problem has now been solved. You can display all the objects that have been corrected by the SAP Note. To do this, choose Corrected Objects. The modification browser appears.

6. Set the processing status to Completed.

In exceptional cases you can remove implemented correction instructions. The changes that you implemented are then reset. The SAP Note remains in your system and is reset to the status that it had before you implemented it.

To do this, choose Reset SAP Note Implementation.

7. If you have successfully solved your problem by implementing the SAP Note, release the change request that was created when you implemented the correction instructions. This transports the corrections and SAP Note data into the follow-on systems in your system landscape.

See also:

Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19]

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4.5.1 SAP Note Queue Use If an SAP Note has other SAP Notes as prerequisites, the Note Assistant determines these when you implement the note, and asks you to load [page 11] them into your system. As soon as these prerequisite SAP Notes are available, the Note Assistant displays the SAP Note that you selected, and all the prerequisite SAP Notes in a dialog box: the SAP Note queue.

You must implement the SAP Notes in the sequence in which they are displayed.

Before you implement the SAP Note, read the prerequisite SAP Notes carefully.

Features You can:

• Implement a number of SAP Notes simultaneously If you choose this option, the system implements as many of the specified SAP Notes as possible one after the other. The SAP Notes that can be implemented together are highlighted in color.

The system can only implement a number of SAP Notes simultaneously once if all the corrections that are contained in the SAP Notes can be included without having to be changed. If the relevant objects contain your own modifications, the system may not be able to include certain changes. The system always implements these SAP Notes individually so that you can adjust your modifications.

Note that you can only adjust corrections to ABAP source text to your modifications. This type of adjustment is not possible for non-source text type repository objects or subobjects.

• Implement all notes individually The system implements the specified SAP Notes individually. This means that you can see in detail which source code change belongs to which SAP Note, and then modify the source code change if possible.

• Cancel SAP Note implementation The system does not make any corrections.

See also: Implementing Correction Instructions [page 14]

4.5.2 Confirming Correction Implementation Use This dialog indicates which objects will be changed if you choose to implement the SAP Note. It also indicates whether or not the Note Assistant can implement the changes.

If you confirm this dialog, the system implements the corrections to the specified objects. If you choose to cancel, the system will not make any corrections.

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Features Traffic light icons indicate whether you can implement the corrections that are contained in an SAP Note.

• Green traffic light: You can implement the corrections without having to change them.

• Yellow traffic light: You can implement the corrections with some restrictions. To ensure that the object changes are implemented correctly, you can use the splitscreen editor [page 18] to adjust corrections to the source text in a repository object. Corrections to other types of data, such as the properties and parameters of a repository object, can be displayed but not changed.

If you click the object name or the traffic light icon, the object change display screen appears. Here, you can check object changes or edit the source code.

• Red traffic light: The object changes cannot be included. This can have various causes, such as the object not being supported by the Note Assistant, or it being locked in another change request.

There is a message text for each object (corrections have not been included completely, for example). If you double-click this text, the corresponding long text appears with detailed information.

To implement the corrections, select all the objects that you want to correct and choose Continue.

Note that only the objects that you have selected can be changed.

4.5.3 Object Changes Display Use This display shows you the changes to a repository object that are required when implementing one or more SAP Notes. The system shows you if any complete or partial changes already exist in your system. The system also informs you in case the Note Assistant is unable to implement a change due to modifications or a Note containing errors.

Features The display consists of two parts: the navigation area to the left, and the detailed display to the right. In the navigation area, the system displays the parts of the selected repository object. If you double-click any of these parts, the system displays its contents on the right-hand part of the screen, together with the changes that have to be inserted.

Changes to the Source Code

Changes to the source text are displayed in a special Splitscreen Editor [page 18]. Here, you can also change the source code manually, for example to adjust modifications.

Changes to Tables

The non-source code parts of a repository object are stored in database tables. The changes display shows you the table contents of a repository object and the changes that have to be made to them. The display is provided for troubleshooting by expert users whenever problems arise during note implementation. You do not need to pay attention to this display during the normal course of note implementation. You cannot manually change the changes to table contents contained in the note.

The changes display for a table contains the entire table contents, as well as further information about changes that have been performed and that have not yet been performed. The first column in the display uses a symbol to show you which operation is to be performed with a table entry. The operation may be one of the following:

• Insert line

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• Delete line

• Change non-key fields

• Move a line, possibly in combination with changing non-key fields. (In this case, the first two columns are used for the operation.)

• No change to the line The second column uses a traffic light icon to show whether or not the operation is possible.

The remaining columns display the actual table contents.

In addition to the lines containing the actual table contents, the display contains help lines containing additional information about the changes being performed. When the note is implemented, these help lines are not written to the database.

• When changing non-key fields, the old field value is displayed in a help line below the changed table row. If the field value cannot be changed, the unchanged value is displayed in the table row, and the old value that is to be deleted is displayed together with the new value in two help lines below the actual table row.

• If a line cannot be inserted because the insert position (the line located immediately in front of the insert position) cannot be found, the system will display the line being inserted and the key value of the line that was not found in two help lines at the end of the table.

• Lines that are to be deleted are displayed in help lines. Changes to Files:

Files that are integrated into repository objects are not changed by the implementation of a note with correction instructions. They can only be created or swapped. Examples are files as mime objects or files that are used by the Internet Transaction Server as mime objects.

The Note Assistant displays the file to be deleted and the file to be created. To display files, either double-click the entry or select the entry and choose F2.

4.5.4 The Splitscreen Editor Use This function displays in detail all the corrections to the source text that are contained in an object. If necessary, you can adjust the corrections to your modifications here.

Features The split-screen editor is divided into two areas:

• On the left-hand side you see the state of the source code after the changes have been implemented. The changes are identified by way of symbols displayed to the left of the source text lines:

Context lines. These are unchanged lines that the system uses to find a position where changes are to be performed.

Inserted lines

Deleted lines

Unchanged lines

Comments describing the interface of a function module.

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You can edit the source code that you see on the left-hand side.

• On the right-hand side you see deleted program parts and corrections that the Note Assistant is unable to implement automatically. These are displayed as context, delete, and insert blocks using symbols. (See also: Technical Details on Correction Instructions [page 19])

On the left-hand side you can do the following:

• Edit manually

• Select and cut, or copy and paste blocks

To select a block marked with a corresponding symbol, position the cursor on the header and choose Select.

You can also select any lines. To do so, position the cursor on the first line of the block that you want to select and choose Select. Then position the cursor on the last line and choose Select again.

• By choosing Undo changes, you can undo step-by-step all changes that you have made in the splitscreen editor.

• By choosing Redo, you can restore any changes that you have previously undone.

• You can use the arrow keys to go to the next/previous change by using the arrow keys

• By choosing Concatenate, you can link two lines together.

• The Undo/Redo button appears in the middle of the editor if you insert or delete a block. You can use this button to undo or redo changes one at a time. Individual delete and insert blocks are substituted.

4.5.5 Technical Details on Correction Instructions You can find information about the following topics here:

• The format of correction instructions

• The validity of correction instructions

• Prerequisites for correction instructions

• Objects that can be changed using correction instructions.

Format Correction instructions describe the changes that must be made to repository objects in the ABAP Workbench and particularly the source code of ABAP programs to correct errors.

Changes to the Source Code

Each change specifies the object (include, function module, and so on) and the modularization unit (FORM routine, for example). To identify the code that needs to be changed, a unique number of preceding unchanged lines are specified (context block). These are followed by the lines that need to be deleted (delete block) and then the new lines (insert block).

Correction instructions can consist of various context, delete and insert blocks.

When the system implements correction instructions automatically, it searches for the context blocks in the function module or include, checks whether the delete blocks follow and then replaces them with the insert block.

If the function module or include has been modified by the customer, the system sometimes cannot find the context blocks or delete blocks specified in the correction instructions, and it cannot implement all

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the corrections. If this is the case, you can use the split-screen editor [page 18] to adjust the corrections from the SAP Note to your modifications.

Changes to Other Repository Objects

Repository objects or parts of them that are not of the source code type are stored in database tables. A correction instruction contains information about which table entries have to be deleted, inserted or changed to correct an error. The system displays this information in the form of contents of a correction instruction. However, this display is primarily designed with experts in mind, for the purpose of problem analysis. We recommend that you do not implement correction instructions manually using this information. Use the automatic implementation only.

Validity All correction instructions specify the releases and Support Package levels in which you can implement them. These release and Support Package levels are known as the validity range of the correction instructions.

For example, if Support Package 5 corrects and error in Release 4.6C, the validity range of the correction instructions is 4.6C Support Packages 1 -4.

An SAP Note can also determine that correction instructions are not allowed to be implemented if a certain software component (an add-on, for example) exists in the system. This is the case, for example, when a correction changes a program part that is required by another software component in an unaltered form.

If an exception such as this was defined, it is displayed in the header area of the correction instructions, under Invalid for <software component, release, Support Package level>.

The Note Assistant automatically checks the validity and only implements a correction instruction if the system status is within the validity range specified.

Prerequisites In some cases, you can only implement correction instructions if certain other correction instructions have already been implemented. This is due to related changes made to the same part of the source code, or semantic dependencies.

These dependencies are described in the header area of the correction instructions. These dependencies (prerequisites) mean that you need to implement a sequence of SAP Notes, and not just one SAP Note.

Objects that can be changed using correction instructions. The following objects can be described and automatically implemented in correction instructions:

Valid for SAP Web AS 6.20, from Basis Support Package 55, SAP Web AS 6.40 from Basis Support Package 13 and higher:

• ABAP programs (REPS): ABAP source text and properties

• Screens (DYNP): ABAP source text, properties and element list

• Function modules (FUNC): ABAP source texts, properties, interface parameters and exceptions

• Classes (CLAS): Class definitions (CLSD)

Local class definitions (CINC): for local definitions, local class implementations and macros

Private sections (CPRI)

Protected sections (CPRO)

Public sections (CPUB)

• Interfaces (INTF): Interface section

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• Type groups (TYPD): ABAP source text and properties

• Methods (METH): ABAP source text, properties, parameters and exceptions

• Pages/controller for a BSP application (WAPP): ABAP source text, properties, layout, event handler, page attributes and type definitions

Valid for SAP Web AS 6.40 from Basis Support Package 13 and higher:

• ITS objects (Internet Transaction Server): Non language-specific binary data of an IAC (Internet Application Component) (IAMU)

Non language-specific IAC templates (IATU)

Parameters of an IAC service (IASP)

Parameters of an IAC language resource (IARP)

• Info objects from the MIME repository (SMIM)

Valid for SAP NetWeaver AS 2004s from Basis Support Package 4 and higher:

• Enhancement Framework objects:

Enhancement implementations (ENHO): Source code enhancements

Enhancement spots (ENHS): Source code definitions

Composite enhancement implementations (ENHC)

Composite enhancement spots (ENSC)

4.6 Note Log When you download an SAP Note, a note log is created. This contains all the important processing steps together with date, time, system, and user. This means that you can always see which steps have already been performed.

You can also store your own notes in the note log. You can do this provided that you are entered as the processor.

You cannot delete information contained in the note log.

4.7 Updating an SAP Note Use You use this function to compare the version of the SAP Notes that are in your system with the latest version of the SAP Notes in SAPNet - R/3 Frontend. In this way you can check at any time whether the SAP Notes in your system have the latest version. The system downloads the latest version when necessary.

You have the following options:

• Adjusting one SAP Note from the SAP Note display

• Adjusting all the SAP Notes that are in your worklist

• Adjusting all the SAP Notes that are listed in the note browser

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SAP Notes can only be updated automatically if you have created an RFC connection to the SAPNet - R/3 Frontend.

Prerequisites You have created an RFC connection [page 7] to the SAPNet – R/3 Frontend.

Procedure ...

1. Choose Download Latest SAP Note Version. The system checks whether the latest version of the SAP Notes that are listed on the screen are available in your system.

The SAP Notes that were changed by SAP since you last downloaded them are displayed in a dialog box.

2. To download the latest version of these SAP Notes, confirm the dialog box.

Result If an SAP Note was changed and had to be reimplemented, the Note Assistant displays this SAP Note in your worklist under the category inconsistent. Implement this note in your system again.

Otherwise, no action is required.

4.8 Checking Support Packages A Support Package contains a collection of error corrections. You can only import complete Support Packages and in a specified sequence. Each correction in a Support Package is documented in an SAP Note.

After you have imported a Support Package, you must perform the Modification Adjustment using transaction SPAU. The following cases exist:

• Correction implemented by an SAP Note and included in a Support Package (traffic light without colors) When you import a Support Package, the system automatically checks whether you have already used SAP Notes to implement individual corrections from the Support Package in your system. In the modification adjustment function (transaction SPAU), these SAP Notes are flagged as obsolete by a gray light.

Reset the objects to their original SAP versions. You can do this in the following ways:

Click the traffic light icon.

Select the SAP Note number. Choose Reset to Original.

A dialog box appears. Confirm that you want to reset the correction to its original status.

If you have selected more than one correction, you can choose Reset All. The dialog box no longer appears.

• SAP Note implemented, but not included in Support Package (yellow traffic light icon) The system checks whether corrections you implemented with an SAP Note have been overwritten by a Support Package that does not contain these corrections. You must implement these corrections again. In the modification adjustment function (transaction SPAU), these SAP Notes are flagged with a yellow light.

Double-click the light to implement the SAP Note again.

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Your worklist also indicates that you need to implement these SAP Notes again (status inconsistent). To do this, choose Implement SAP Note.

• Correction implemented by an SAP Note and included in a Support Package, however SAP Note version is different (yellow traffic light) The system checks whether you have already used SAP Notes to implement individual corrections from the Support Package in your system. If the version of the SAP Note included in the Support Package is a later version than that of the SAP Note that was implemented using the Note Assistant, then the modification adjustment is unable to reset the objects included in the SAP Note to their original status. The system displays this SAP Note with a yellow traffic light.

In this instance, proceed as follows:

a. Call the Note Assistant.

b. Download the current SAP Note version for all SAP Notes.

c. In the modification adjustment, calculate the adjustment modes again. Choose Goto → Determine Adjustment Mode.

If the SAP Note was not changed by SAP, a traffic light without colors is displayed. You can reset it to its original status, as described under the section Correction implemented by an SAP Note and included in a Support Package (traffic light without colors).

If the SAP Note was changed by SAP, a yellow traffic light is displayed. Proceed as described under the section SAP Note implemented, but not included in Support Package (yellow traffic light icon).

• SAP Note implemented, although parts included in Support Package (green traffic light icon) An SAP Note contains multiple correction instructions with different validity periods, for example. When you import the Support Package, one set of correction instructions becomes obsolete and the other remains valid. In this exception case, the SAP Note appears with a green traffic light icon.

If you click the icon, the correction instructions that are no longer relevant are reset to their original status.

• Adjustment mode for SAP Note implementation undetermined (green question mark) After you have imported the Support Package, the adjustment modes for corrections are calculated in a background process. If this process is not started or if errors occur, a green question mark appears in front of the object in the tree display.

Double-click the question mark to restart the process. This can take a few minutes.

• Objects with your modifications and corrections from SAP Notes

If objects contain your own modifications and SAP Note corrections, you must first process the displayed SAP Note corrections with the modification adjustment function (transaction SPAU), and then adjust your own modifications.

The modification adjustment in the subtree With Modification Assistant is not supported if the object is contained in SAP Note corrections that have not yet been adjusted or reset to their original status.

The objects that are contained in the SAP Note are entered in transport requests if you adjust modifications to these objects, or if you reset them to their original status. This guarantees that they are transported into follow-on systems.

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5 Implementation Status and Processing Status of SAP Notes The Note Assistant displays SAP Notes according to their implementation status and their processing status. The implementation status of an SAP Note is determined by the system according to existing information. The processing status is specified by the user.

Remember that the system checks whether the processing status you have set is consistent with the implementation status of the correction instructions.

For example, you can only set the processing status Completed if you have implemented all the relevant corrections (implementation status: Implemented completely or Cannot be implemented).

If the implementation status of an SAP Note then changes, so that it is no longer consistent with the processing status (after you import a Support Package, for example), the system flags the SAP Note as being inconsistent in the note overview.

5.1 Implementation Status If an SAP Note contains correction instructions, the implementation status indicates whether all the relevant correction instructions in the note have been implemented in the system.

The system sets the implementation status automatically. It can have the following values:

• Incompletely implemented Not all the relevant correction instructions have been implemented, or some correction instructions have only been partly implemented. The objects that need to be corrected are inconsistent. You must therefore implement this SAP Note in your system again.

• Obsolete version implemented SAP has corrected an SAP Note that contained errors. Implement this note in your system again.

• Can be implemented The SAP Note contains correction instructions that you can implement in your system.

• Implemented completely The corrections in the SAP Note have been implemented completely in your system. No action is required.

• Cannot be implemented The SAP Note does not contain any correction instructions that you can implement in your system. No action is required.

• Obsolete After you implemented the corrections in the Note, you imported a Support Package that also contains these corrections. The errors have now been removed.

5.2 Processing Status The user who is processing an SAP Note specifies its processing status. This status indicates whether a user has already processed this SAP Note, and if so, to which extent.

You can set the following processing statuses in the Note Assistant:

• New You have loaded the SAP Note into your system, but have not yet processed it.

• In processing A user is processing the SAP Note.

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• Completed You have followed the instructions in the SAP Note and implemented any corrections in your system. The processing of the SAP Note has now been completed.

• Not relevant You have read the SAP Note and decided that it is not relevant, for example because it refers to a function that you do not user.

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6 Troubleshooting This section provides information about messages that the Note Assistant can display:

• Object cannot be locked under request The Note Assistant makes sure that an SAP Note is implemented under one request. To do this, it enters the transport object R3TR NOTE in the request and locks the SAP Note under this request. You can then edit the SAP Note or its objects in this request only.

If the objects are already locked in other requests, you must release them. You can then edit the object again.

• Note is inconsistent An SAP Note can include corrections to multiple objects. Transporting individual objects may cause an SAP Note to be implemented incompletely. In this case, the status of the SAP Note is displayed as inconsistent. You should then check the implementation status of the SAP Note and implement it again if necessary.

• Note not in worklist after download The SAP Note may have already been downloaded and processed. Search in the Note Browser to find all SAP Notes that are available in the system.

Other Problems with the Note Assistant If the system cannot implement an SAP Note automatically, and there are no modifications in your system, try to use the split-screen editor to implement the SAP Note. If automatic implementation fails, it is usually due to small differences in the source code.

If implementation still fails, create a problem message in SAPNet – R/3 Frontend and assign it to the component of the SAP Note. The component is in the note header (for example, FI-AR-CR).

If you experience any other problems with the Note Assistant, create a problem message and assign it to the component BC-UPG-NA.

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