Show TOC

Notes About Migrating Smart FormsLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

Features

When a Smart Form is migrated, the following objects are generated:

  • Interface

  • Form

The interface of the PDF-based form consists of the interface itself and the global definitions of the Smart Form. The interface includes:

  • Import Parameter

  • Export Parameter

  • Table parameters

  • Exceptions

  • Global Data

  • Types

  • Field Symbols

  • Initialization (ABAP)

  • Form routines (ABAP)

  • Currency/quantity fields

The form object of the PDF-based form contains the subtree Pages and Windows of the navigation tree of the Smart Form, and consists of two parts:

  • Context:

    Data is migrated into the context (loops, folders, and data-specific prerequisites, for example).

  • Layout:

    The formatting is migrated into the layout.

Note

You still have to activate the PDF-based form in transaction SFP before you can call it from the application.

No migration is required for the following:

  • Text modules

    The content (ITF format) of text modules is automatically converted to XHTML/CSS at runtime of the PDF-based form, and included in the data stream. For information about properties that are migrated only partially or not at all, see also the Constraints section below.

  • SAPscript Texts

    The content (ITF format) of SAPscript texts (include texts) is automatically converted to XHTML/CSS at runtime of the PDF-based form, and included in the data stream. For information about properties that are migrated only partially or not at all, see also the Constraints section below.

  • Smart Styles

    These are required for formatting the text modules and the SAPscript texts. The styles are used for converting the text types mentioned (ITF format to XHTML/CSS). Smart Styles are also used for migrating the text elements that are embedded in the Smart Form (ITF format to XHTML/CSS).

Restrictions

Properties that are not supported

  • PDF-based forms do not support cover sheets; anything entered in the appropriate fields in the interface is ignored.

  • Program lines that depend on a layout condition (current page = 1) or on a layout-specific event (page break). Example: Changing a global variable that is dependent on the current page number.

  • Usage of the output formats XSF, XDF, or HTML

  • Conditions within a template if they influence the assignment of rows or cells

  • Usage of SAP characters (<123>)

  • Formatting in text nodes that differs from the XHTML subset determined by Adobe (formatting that cannot be converted is lost during migration)

  • Combination of data-specific output conditions (table control on Conditions tab page) and conditions with times ("only after the main window has been completed", for example)

  • Linking output-specific conditions (SFSY-PAGE > 10, for example) and data-specific output conditions with ODER to nodes that are displayed in the layout (with the exception of text modules, includes, graphics, addresses, and loops)

  • Template cells whose formatting is interrupted by the formatting of other cells (text1 in cell 1-1, text2 in cell 1-2, text3 in cell 1-1)

  • Complex sections

  • Conditions Only Before End of Main Window, Only After End of Main Window, and Only on Page... in the main window

  • Summation that takes into account reference fields (currency, for example)

  • Page counter

  • Copies and final windows, including their properties

  • Minimum height of a table

  • Sort events in tables

  • Calculations in tables

  • Printer control sequences in command nodes

  • Bar codes

  • Field formatting options

  • Links and URLs that are returned as text

Properties that are partially supported

  • Obsolete 4.6C tables are migrated as loops only (cell assignment is lost)

  • Address output is not formatted

  • Borders and shading of table cells are not adjusted to the height of the row

  • Calling the function modules SSF_OPEN and SSF_CLOSE to monitor print jobs. Change your application programs to the new function modules FP_JOB_OPEN and FP_JOB_CLOSE. If you do not adjust your application program, but activate Switch Runtime instead, the system still guarantees that the output works. The output parameters are included, for example. However, the forms are not (necessarily) included in a spool job; other forms can also be interspersed. A mixture of Smart Forms and PDF-based forms cannot be included in the same job.

  • When returning OTF ( Return as Table in Application Program): Conversion to PDF and use of "new" interface to be able to use all new options. A program change is not mandatory for applications that simply forward the OTF to BCS. The components that process the (previous) OTF (BCS and FB CONVERT_OTF) are extended so that PDF can also be processed in an OTF table. Import the correction in SAP Note 1280877 for the FB CONVERT_OTF to also accept PDF (it forwards the PDF on so that existing applications do not have to be adjusted). Note that no ASCII (Plain Text output) can be created from this PDF. Applications that have previously requested OTF to create ASCII cannot be supported in this way.