SAP Smart Forms -Form Printing in the Internet Age
Jens StumpeChristoph WachterGBU AISAP AG
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 2
SAP Smart Forms: Output to Printer or Browser
State-of-the-art form printing
Enjoyable graphical user interface
No programming skills required
Minimal implementation costs
Internet applications using Interactive Webforms
XSF: XML for Smart Forms
Solutions and scenarios
IS-Healthcare: Insurance verification processing
Converge, Inc.: XML data exchange using XSF
Internet Marketing: Personalized e-mails
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 3
SAP Smart Forms – SAP´s Form Printing Solution
Users can easily create/adjust forms:Minimal implementation costs
Enjoyable graphical user interface:No programming skills required
Interactive Webforms based on generated XML output(XSF, Basis Release 4.6C; HTML+XSF, SAP Web AS 6.10)
Smart Forms aredelivered for variouscentral businessprocesses(starting with CRM 2.0;BBP; SD, FI, HR 4.6C)
Migration of SAPscriptforms supported
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 4
SAP Smart Forms - Architecture
Smart Form
Data retrieval Form logic Output device
Applicationprogram
Database
ABAPFunctionmodule
(generated)
Web Browser
Printer
Fax
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Form Builder
Navigation tree Attributes(of selected node) Form Painter
Selected node
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Control Flow and Conditions
Controlflow Nodes with condition(s)
are marked
Condition must be metbefore node is processed
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Window Types
Windows are output areas on your design page
Various window typesMain window: For continuous output (e.g. table output)Secondary window: For output with a fixed lengthFinal window: Special secondary window for output of information that isnot available until the end of form processing (as of SAP Web AS 6.10,for older releases see SAPnet note 359009)Copies window: Special secondary window for marking pages as copy ororiginal (as of SAP Web AS 6.10)
Additional output areasGraphic nodeAddress node
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Graphical Form Painter - Overview
Personal settingszoominggridruleretc.
Toolbar
Drag&Drop
Windows for textand graphics
Ruler with size ofselected window
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 9
Graphical Form Painter - Design Area
Design supportTwo-level gridWindow positionCursor position with gridlinesAutozoomingBackground display
Changing windowsDrag & dropSnap to gridAutoscrolling
Context menu
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 10
Texts and Fields - Concepts
For text output a text node is used
Three text typesText elements (locally in form)Text modules (for reusing texts)Include texts (for including SAPscript texts)
No commands in text nodesBesides text only fields are allowedSAPscript commands in Include texts are ignored
Fields are global variables of a formInterface parameters: Data transferred from application programGlobal data: Additionally required variables (e.g. for work areas)System fields: For special purposes (e.g. date, page number)
Fields can be used in text nodes and to set attributesdynamically
For example, to decide dynamically which graphic to include
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 11
Texts and Fields - Field list and Inline Editor
Field list
Drag&Drop
Paragraph and characterformats
Belong to a Smart StyleSystem displays onlyavailable formats of currentstyle (corporate identity)Each Smart Form musthave one global styleGlobal style can beoverwritten by local style
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 12
Table Output - Graphical Table Painter
For the design oftables andtemplates
Similar handlingto Form Painter
Snap to gridAutozoomingContext menuRulerPersonalization
Boxes andshading (6.10)for line types
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 13
Table Output - Content
Convenient tableprocessing
Headers andfootersSortingDisplay output(e.g. subtotals)after sort levels
Automaticcalculations(as of 6.10)
Totals, average,number
Loop through internal table =Loop through main area
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Local and Global Checks
List of errormessages withnavigation tocorrespondingnode
Check if fieldsexist
Warnings for fieldsthat might have novalue
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LocalizationAddress node (use of Business Address Services)Currency relations drawn from ABAP Dictionary
Page breaksAutomatic page breaks in main windowProtection against automatic page break possibleDynamic page breaks by using command node
Additional new features as of SAP Web AS 6.10:Undo/Redo of actionsUpload/Download using XMLCopy of form subtrees between forms in one system
Other Features
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 16
Form Printing using SAP Smart Forms
Many customers use SAP Smart Forms for their productiveform printing in central business processes(starting with CRM 2.0; BBP; SD, FI, HR 4.6C)
You may ask for assistance(from SAP or partners) in a joint project
Your favorite form layout and form logicis done by yourself
If you specify your form data (interface),SAP can implement the necessarydata retrieval program in that project(please contact your local SAP representative)
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 17
Smart Forms: Interactive Webforms
XSF: XML for Smart Forms
Data stream: XSF
Interactive Webforms based on generated XML output(XSF, Basis Release 4.6C; HTML+XSF, SAP Web AS 6.10)
Solutions and scenarios
IS-Healthcare:Insurance verification processing
Converge, Inc.:XML data exchange using XSF
Internet Marketing:Personalized e-mails
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 18
Interactive Web Forms: History
XSF (XML for Smart Forms)Available as of Basis Release 4.6C
XML data stream (as of SAP Web AS 6.10 using iXML)
Same purpose as RDI (Raw Data Interface):Provide an interface for third party tools
Content, no layout
Interactive Web FormsOutput device: Browser
Layout: HTML+CSS (as of SAP Web AS 6.10 XSF is transformed to HTML usingXSLT on the server side)
Layout may be changed offline
Use output format PDF when a displayed document is to be identical to aprinted version
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 19
Interactive Webforms: Properties
Text and data fields may beused as entry fields
Offline data entry usingHTMLinput fields (text, hidden,submit, reset, checkbox,radio button, list box, textarea)
Webforms are embedded inInternet applications, e.g.,in BSP applications
Data entered can be processedon next BSP page
Several scenarios for offlinechanges
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Interactive Webforms: Use Fields as Input Fields
You can designate fields used in text nodes as input fields easilyby assigning an input type and additional web properties
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mySAP Web Application Server
HTTP port Internet
SAP Web Application Server
BSP application
BSPPage 1
BSPPage 2
BSPPage 3
Database
Firewall
R/3 System R/3 System
RFC, BAPI, IDOC
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Interactive Webforms: Call Webform Using a BSP Page
SAPWeb
ApplicationServer
1Call BSP page(HTTP request)
Send Interactive Webform(HTTP response)
BSP application
BSPruntime
environment
EventhandlerOnInitialization
Responseobject
Smart Form
6
2 3
4
5
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IS-Healthcare: Insurance Verification Processing
Health insurance fund
Hospital
HTML form data1
2
3
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 24
IS-Healthcare: Benefits for Partner
Benefits for hospitaland health insurancefund
Effort for approving aninsurance verificationrequest is minimalData of XML forms can bestored in health insurancefund’s computer systemLow administration effort incomparison to automaticprocessing using EDI
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 25
Converge: Solution Description
Send invoices created in SAP system to Chase ManhattanBank in order to display these invoices for customers onthe Web
Sales Invoices created once a month with ‘CollectiveInvoicing’
An automatic creation of invoices for all auctions that are due to be invoiced
Chase Manhattan developed Smart Form for displaying theweb enabled Converge Invoice and Credit Memo
Option to print invoices or issuing of an XML formatted fileusing XSFProductive since Q3/2000
Contact personsConverge: Kari Elias (www.converge.com, [email protected])SAP: Benjamin Espiritu ([email protected])
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 26
Benefits for Converge and Chase Manhattan
Standard XML documents fordata exchange and display in aweb browserAllows companies to partnerwith banks who can offer thisservicewith on-line payment optionsEase of useUse same standard layout forWeb publishing and printingProvides other creative uses,such as alerting customerswith a mail messagethat a new invoice has arrived
SAP AG 2001, Tec11, SAPPHIRE2001, Dr. Fritz 26
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 27
Internet Marketing: Personalized e-mails
PersonalizedE-Mail
PersonalizedE-Mail
Business partnerActivities
Business partnerActivities
InternetInternet
Target groupBusiness partners
Target groupBusiness partners
CampaignCampaign
execute send to
link totrack
control
Conditions(customer profile)
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 28
Further Sources of Information
DemosReports / Forms: SF_EXAMPLE_01, SF_EXAMPLE_02, SF_EXAMPLE_03BSPs: SF_WEBFORM_01, SF_WEBFORM_02, SF_WEBFORM_03
SAP Library in Help Portal (http://help.sap.com/)Basis (SAP Web Application Server)
-> Basis-Services / Communication Interfaces (BC-SRV)-> SAP Smart Forms (BC-SRV-SSF)
Training: BC470
SAPnet notes: 168368, 412293
SAP Deutschland AG & Co. KG 2001 / 29
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