Function documentationDesktop Office Integration

 

Note Note

This section of the documentation is relevant only for document management (DM) on the SAP GUI. It is not relevant for DM on the PLM Web UI.

End of the note.

The original application files of many business processes are managed using the Document Management System (DMS) and are stored in a secure area. Microsoft Office Integration offers an easy and comfortable way to process original application files with OLE2-enabled desktop applications (for example, Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel). You can start the application directly from a document info record and use a template to ease creating the document.

Integration

You make the settings for Office integration in Customizing for Document Management under Define Workstation Application. Carry out the following activities here:

  • Define Workstation Application in Network

    In the path of the application call specify whether the application is to be started inplace (within a screen section of the SAP system) or outplace (externally in its own window). You can also specify that in display mode the application starts inplace, but in editing mode it starts outplace.

    The syntax of the program call determines which method is used:

    • inplace (2 variants):

      %SAP-OFFICE-INTEGRATION.INPLACE%

      %SAP-OFFICE-INTEGRATION.INPLACE% %MAXSIZE%

    • outplace:

      %SAP-OFFICE-INTEGRATION.OUTPLACE%

    For more information, see the F1 help in the Application (Path with Program Name) field.

  • Define Template for Original Application File

    You can create multiple templates (called source files in earlier Releases) depending on the document type and the application used. The templates can be used as template files for the original application files that are to be created. These templates are language-dependent.

    Save these templates in a storage system to allow them to be accessed by all users.

  • Set Up Office Integration

    You specify which data you want to be transferred from the SAP system to the Office file in Customizing for Document Management (CA-DMS), by choosing Start of the navigation path General Data Next navigation step Define Workstation Application End of the navigation path. You can transfer document data, class data, texts, and user-defined file properties. This enables you to store file information in an Office document for organizational purposes and so that it can be easily found later on.

    You can use the following technologies for transferring the data:

Features

When you process the document info record, you have the option of creating and changing original application files.

  • You can use templates for creating original application files. You can create as many templates with Office applications as you like for each document type. These templates can be language-dependent and you can select them when creating new original application files.

  • When you process an original application file with an Office application you can transfer data from the SAP system to the original application files.

    The transfer of data to original application files supports the fields from the following data groups:

    • General document data from the table DRAW

    • Short text from the table DRAT

    • Class data from the document info record

      See: List of SAP Fields

    The field selection is dependent on the application.

    You can create a template that contains certain fields from drawing header data and transfers matching field values automatically when the original application file is processed.

  • You can specify in the settings for Customizing whether an Office application (such as Microsoft Word) for creating or changing originals is to be started inplace or outplace.

    • inplace

      The Microsoft Office application starts in the window for processing the document info record. We recommend that you only use this setting when making small changes because the data cannot be saved separately in the Office application but only when saving the entire document info record.

    • outplace

      A new window is opened for the Microsoft Office application. You can use all the functions of the Office application, such as saving the file. You can process multiple original application files with Office applications at the same time as changing a document info record. You can save each file individually in its own Office application or save all the changes at once by saving the document info record.

Activities

Process a document info record.

  1. Select the function for processing the original application file. You can call all active functions using the context menu. Position the cursor on the required original application file. Click the right-hand mouse button to reveal a context menu with all active functions

    • Create

      Select Create Original (Create Original) in the screen area for the original application files. You can select any of the templates for this document type that exist in your logon language from the dialog box. The system starts the application inplace or outplace based on the settings in Customizing.

    • Change

      If the original application file is in a secure area, it is checked out.

    See also: Processing Originals (Microsoft Office Integration)

  2. After you have finished processing the original application file, save it either in the Office application (outplace) or in the document info record (inplace).