ALM275 Create PDF Based Forms

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ALM275

Creating PDF-Based Print Forms

Martin Plummer, SAP AG

Juergen Hauser, Adobe Systems Incorporated

28.08.2009

© SAP AG 2009. All rights reserved. / Page 2

Disclaimer

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were caused by SAP intentionally or grossly negligent.

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actual results to differ materially from expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue

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Agenda

1. Introduction to SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe

2. Form Builder & Adobe LiveCycle Designer

3. Administration

4. Performance

5. Summary


SAP and Adobe

Strategic partnership since 2002

SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe

Integrated in SAP NetWeaver

Available in SAP ERP and CRM as print and interactive forms

Interactive forms enabling new, forms-based engagement model

for SAP users

Enterprise learning

Acrobat Connect Professional integrated in SAP Enterprise Learning

and available standalone

Enabling virtual classrooms and meeting rooms for SAP users

Rich Internet Applications

Components of Adobe Flex integrated in SAP Visual Composer

Enables easy creation of engaging Flash dashboards for SAP Analytics

Making user experiences with SAP software easy and engaging - everywhere

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Challenges in Forms-Based Processes

Paper-based form processes have limitations

Error-prone and easily outdated

Manual data re-entry

Process status is hard to track

High costs (for example, production and storage)

Casual users (including executives) are typically unfamiliar with enterprise

software

Access to enterprise applications needs to be intuitive.

External users (for example, suppliers) are disconnected from the process

System-relevant data capture is cumbersome.


SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe

Key Capabilities

Integrate interactive PDF documents into business processes driven by SAP applications

Allow form-based input combined with workflow to start automated follow-up steps

Generate forms that contain data extracted from SAP systems

Use dynamic or static forms

Complete forms online or offline

Submit data from the form back to SAP systems

Allow users to print forms

Backend printing

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Forms Scenarios

Online Interactive Form Scenario

SAP system access needed

Full integration into Web Dynpro for Java and ABAP frameworks

Context-sensitive value help, online checks

Offline Interactive Form Scenario

No SAP system access needed

Static value help, static checking, simple arithmetic calculations

Self-contained PDF (XML data+layout)

Form Printing Scenario

‘Classic’ form processing, not interactive

Output documents are printed, e-mailed, archived, or faxed

Browser with

Adobe Reader plug-in

Adobe Reader

offline

Archive

Down- /

Upload

Print

E-mail

E-mail /

HTTP


SAP Interactive Forms Delivered in SAP ERP

6.0

SAP Enhancement Package 4 for SAP ERP 6.0

Almost all forms are available as PDF-Based Print Forms

Approximately 2300 forms

PDF-Based Print Forms are used for new deliveries

Approximately 500 forms have no Smart Form or SAPscript alternative

Visit http://service.sap.com/erp for lists of forms in each Enhancement Package

Media Library - SAP ERP Overview -> Detailed information cross ERP -> Adobe Forms for

SAP ERP

http://service.sap.com/erp

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SAP Forms Strategy

“The SAP forms strategy is based on SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe

(IFbA). This applies to both print and interactive forms. In this context, most

Business Suite solutions have already been converted to the IFbA

technology (more than 2300 forms), and new standard SAP forms will be

created using IFbA instead of Smart Forms or SAPscript.

SAPscript and Smart Forms shall continue to be supported inline with SAP’s

maintenance strategy, thereby ensuring the ability to protect existing

customer investment.”


Run-Time Architecture

Central ADS Hub

Application Code (Java)

SAP NetWeaver (Java)

Document ServicesEJB

Web Services

Adobe Document ServicesCore Components

Application Code (ABAP)

SAP NetWeaver (ABAP)

PDF Object (ABAP)

Web Services

SOAP

PDF Object (Java)

Web Services

An ADS on SAP NetWeaver 7.0 SP13 or higher

can be used by several ABAP stacks on different

releases and SP levels (SAP NetWeaver 7.0

SP13 or higher)

SAP NetWeaver

(ABAP)

SAP NetWeaver

(ABAP)

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Agenda



3. Administration

4. Performance

5. Summary


Printing with PDF-Based Forms

1. Print Program

2. Print Dialog

3. Preview or Print

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Runtime – Calling the ADS

PDF Object

Print Output

PCL, PS, or ZPLPDF

Adobe Document Services

Form Data

Form

Template

(XDP)


Form Builder: Access to Forms Processing

ABAP Workbench (SE80) Transaction SFP

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Tools and Objects at Design Time

Form Template FUNCTION

/1BCDWB/SM0000000

1.

DATA: %OUTPAR

TYPE SFPOUTPAR,

%DOCPAR TYPE

SFPDOCPAR,

...

Form Builder (SFP or SE80)

LayoutContext

Interface

Generate Function Module


Form Interface: Properties

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Form Interface

ABAP types

Dictionary types


Application Program

* (1) Data retrieval and processing

SELECT ... FROM ...

...

* (2) Find out name of generated function module

CALL FUNCTION 'FP_FUNCTION_MODULE_NAME'...

* (3) Start form processing

CALL FUNCTION 'FP_JOB_OPEN'...

LOOP AT ...

* (4) Call function module dynamically

CALL FUNCTION <generated function module> ...

ENDLOOP.

* (5) End form processing

CALL FUNCTION 'FP_JOB_CLOSE'...

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FP_FUNCTION_MODULE_NAME

* (2) Find out name of generated function module

CALL FUNCTION 'FP_FUNCTION_MODULE_NAME'

EXPORTING

i_name = p_form

IMPORTING

e_funcname = fm_name.

...

* (4) Call function module dynamically

CALL FUNCTION fm_name

EXPORTING

/1bcdwb/docparams = fp_docparams

customer = customer

bookings = bookings

connections = connections

EXCEPTIONS

usage_error = 1...

SELECT

NAME?

OPEN

CALL

CLOSE


Starting and Ending Form Processing

DATA:

fp_outputparams TYPE sfpoutputparams.

...

* set output parameters like printer, preview...

fp_outputparams-dest = 'LP01'.

* (3) Start form processing

CALL FUNCTION 'FP_JOB_OPEN'

CHANGING

ie_outputparams = fp_outputparams

EXCEPTIONS

cancel = 1...

...

* (5) End form processing

CALL FUNCTION 'FP_JOB_CLOSE'...

SELECT

NAME?

OPEN

CALL

CLOSE

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Form Context: Overview

Interface

Properties/details/conditions of

context element

Context


Creating a Context

Drag & drop

from interface

New fields

(form-specific)

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Translation of ABAP-Based Forms

Fully integrated into standard

environment

Use of long-text editor

Ideally in combination with

translation memory


Adobe LiveCycle Designer: Overview

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Data Binding

Association between form template and data source

Created automatically through drag & drop from Data View

Can be created manually

DEMO

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Agenda



3. Administration

4. Performance

5. Summary


Administration: Job Profile Editor

When an application calls the ADS, it can specify a job profile to modify the way ADS

processes the job (for example, OUTPUTPARAMS-JOB_PROFILE = ‘Adobe/Print/DuplexLongEdge’.)

A UI for editing job profiles is part of the SAP NetWeaver Administrator in SAP

NetWeaver 7.11

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Administration: XDC Editor

XDC files are configuration files for the ADS

Standalone Eclipse-based tool for editing XDC files

Download the XDC Editor from SDN


Agenda



3. Administration

4. Performance

5. Summary

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Print Performance Optimization Through

Bundling

Prerequisite: SAP NetWeaver 7.0 SPS 12

Principle of bundling:

Collect several output requests

Call Adobe document services for bundle of documents

Bundling is disabled by default and needs to be enabled

General setting in database table FPCONNECT

Application program can override the database setting

fp_outputparams-bumode = ‘M‘.

CALL FUNCTION ‘FP_JOB_OPEN‘

CHANGING

ie_outputparams = fp_outputparams

DESTINATION Connection to ADS

DIR_GLOBAL X for double-stack systems, space for distributed systems

BATCHING Space (BATCHING is obsolete)

MBATCHING X to activate bundling


Performance Considerations

Form Design

Keep the file size of the forms as small as possible. Minimize the number of objects.

Print forms are non-interactive so avoid interactive features.

Avoid scripts if possible.

FormCalc used to be preferred to JavaScript but this is not so significant now.

Print Program

Structure the print program correctly to allow bundling. Do not put FP_JOB_OPEN and

FP_JOB_CLOSE inside loops.

See the documentation for Adobe LiveCycle Designer and the SAP Library for more

information.

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Performance Improvement for Large Print

Jobs

ADS on a 4-processor (2.4 GHz) system

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000

Number of pages in job

Pag

es/h

ou

r

Serial

Parallel (3 MDBs)

Parallel (4 MDBs)

3 2 1

A

B

C

D

1

222

3….Bundles…..P

rocessors

Print Job

Requires:

SAP NetWeaver

7.02 (ABAP)

ADS on Application

Server Java 7.2

ADSNew parameter PARALLEL in

function module FP_JOB_OPEN


Performance Improvement for Large Print

Jobs - Configuration

The application must set the new optional parameter PARALLEL in function module

FP_JOB_OPEN

Create logical ports (they must by identical) for:

FpPrintRequest (Web service Parallelization)

FpQueueAdmin (Web service for Monitoring UI)

In table FPCONNECT, for RFC Destination ADS set the logical port of the Web

service

Configure the system for bundling

Use the SAP NetWeaver Administrator to configure the number of processors

Set maxPoolSize property

Set PoolMax property

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Agenda



3. Administration

4. Performance

5. Summary


Summary

SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe:

Is used to create PDF-based print forms

Is fully integrated into SAP NetWeaver

Provides a user-friendly development environment

Is used for many SAP-delivered forms

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Further Information

Related Workshops/Lectures at SAP TechEd 2009

ALM210, Overview of Printing from SAP Systems, Lecture (1 hour)

UP105, Introduction to SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe, Lecture (2

hours)

Related SAP Education and Certification Opportunities

http://www.sap.com/education/

BC480: Creating PDF-Based Print Forms

SAP Public Web:

SAP Developer Network (SDN): www.sdn.sap.com

SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe: www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/adobe







http://www.sdn.sap.com/

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/adobe

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ALM275 Create PDF Based Forms