Adobe Forms Integration with SAP

Presentation by Shobhit
Mishra
 Course Content
1 Introduction & Capabilities

2 Architecture & Technology behind ABAP & J2EE scenarios

3 Integration with ABAP Print Forms

4 Adobe Life Cycle Designer Overview

5 Scripting and Other Events

 Adobe Forms vs Smart Forms

Pros
Quickly create, deploy, and process form templates
Improve user experiences with dynamic forms and
guides
Integrate with back-end systems and other LiveCycle
modules
Capture data and transfer it directly into your
organization's back-end systems.

Cons
They take more space/memory because of all GUI
elements and scripting.
 Offline/Print Functionality with
Adobe Form
Paper-like Layout
Self-Explanatory
Natural look & feel

Background Services
Structured data in XML
Pre-filled application values
Pre-filled value helps, list boxes
Integration with business functionality

User Handling
Save locally
Distribute via e-mail / portal
Form Scenarios
Digital Signature
Local Printing
Capabilities
Integrate Interactive PDF form with SAP
business processes automatic business data
update
Allows form based inputs combined with
workflow to start automated follow-on steps
[GP]
Generate forms with data extracted from SAP
Use dynamic [online] or static [offline] forms
Allow users to print forms
Allows assigning digital signature to form
Source : SAP
Online Interactive Form Scenario
SAP System Access required
Full integration into WebDynpro for Java and
ABAP frameworks
Context sensitive value help, online checks
Offline Interactive Form Scenario
No SAP system access required
Static value help, static validations
Self-contained PDF [XML data + Layout
Form Printing Scenario
Classic form processing
Output documents can be printed, e-mailed,
archived, faxed
Key Capabilities
Create form templates for the layout that include logos or pictures
Generate documents by merging form templates and current system
data.
Edit forms online or offline.
Forms can be filled in advance automatically with specific data from SAP
applications and then sent to the correct recipients using secure
methods.
Automatic consistency checks for forms.
Activate enhanced functions such as comments digital signatures and
form certification.
Send completed forms to the SAP application with automatic updates of
the business data.
New and versatile components include a WYSIWYG form design tool that
simplifies the creation of customized interactive forms and templates.
Document services that facilitate the 2-way transfer of XML data into and
out of SAP applications.
Ability to output forms in various formats including prints, fax , e-mail,
Web service and Adobe PDF.
Allows forms-based input combined with workflow to start automated
follow-up steps.
Prerequisites: Server-Side
Prerequisites: Client-Side
Runtime Architecture
Runtime Calling the ADS
What happens at runtime ?
Application Program
FP_FUNCTION_MODULE_NAME
Dynamic Call
Starting and Ending Form Processing
Tools & Objects at Design Time
 ALD Overview

Script Editor

Layout
Editor

Palette Palette
Windo Windo
w w
Layout Editor: Adding Form Objects
 Hierarchal vs Data View

Hierarchical view gives you an idea of how the form

is created starting from the master page and then
body pages.
Data view provides information about various table,
work areas and variables used in the form context.
Interface: Properties
Interface Data & Code Initialization
Form Properties
Form Context: Overview
Creating a form Context
Tables in Context
Objects on a Master Page
 Master Page(s) & Body Page(s)

Master page Body page

Determines formatting of Pages of a form, contains
body pages (including system data
background)
 Suggested Approach to Designing Forms
Create the master page first.
Look for data that belongs to the background of the page
Set your content area

Divide the form information / data into

Header (master page)
Form content (body page)
Leaders / detail lines / trailers
Footer (master page)
 What Are Subforms?

Can be laid down only in the content area

of a master page.
If of type Position Content, objects of
subforms can be laid down at their exact
position at runtime. (Hierarchy position of
objects not relevant for layout position)
If of type Flow Content, the objects will
follow each other, depending on which
space they require at runtime.
Contents of subform can be protected
against page break.
Two consecutive subforms can be
protected against page break.
 When to Include Subforms

Placing objects in a subform makes

sense:
if you want to output the element
repeatedly (type Flow Content)
if you want to visually group objects
if you want to keep objects together
(protect them against page break)
if you want to hide several elements
at once (scripting required)
 What Are Body Pages? When to Include Them?

Alternative: Top of Next Page

When should you insert a new body page?

when you want to make clear that a new page starts here (make
sure to say so!)
when you want to make sure you want to lay down a subform on a
particular master page
 Body Page Setup for tables
The Body Page main subform Content property must
be set to Flowed.
If this is not done, you will not have multiple pages print out!
 Table Header Row
Tables can include header rows that hold the column headers.
 Table Body Rows

Table body rows are bound to the data in the table.

Data Binding