Creating Print Versions of BEx Applications

You can create print versions of BEx applications. To do this, you first export the selected Web application in PDF format. You can then print the PDF version. A dialog appears, where you can specify the layout of the print version.

When printing Web applications, note that it is only possible to export and print the following Web items:

• Analysis
• Chart
• Maps
• Report
• Info field
• List of exceptions
• List of conditions
• Text

You cannot print MIME objects or other Web items. If you want to print MIME objects (such as logos) that you have inserted into a Web template, you need to insert the relevant MIME object in the Web application using the Report Web item.

You can create print versions for BEx applications in the following BEx tools and applications:

• Usage type BI Java is installed. This contains usage types AS Java and EP.
• Before PDF files can be created, the system administrator must configure and manage the Adobe document services.

  More information: Adobe Document Services Configuration Guide . You can also find this documentation in SAP Solution Manager under Solutions → Basic Configuration →SAP SAP NetWeaver 7.0  →   Usage Type AS Java.

• To export PDF files (and PostScript and PCL files) from the Web Applications, you have the alternative of using the Export Library for SAP Business Explorer. The Export Library is only intended for use in the BEx Java Web runtime. More information: Activating the Export Library for SAP Business Explorer .
• To view the PDF document, Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed.

Scope of Print Version

The print version of the BI application can have up to 400 pages. The system may require some time when generating a print version of this size.

Specifying the Layout of the Print Version

Using the dialog for creating a PDF document, you can design the layout of the print version. You can choose from the following functions:

• Scaling Factor

  You can set the print version of a BEx application according to the following options:

  • Fit to Page Width

    The BEx application is fit to the width of the page in the print version. You can display the column headings on the following pages.

  • Fit to Page

    The BEx application is fit to the size of the page.

  • Poster

    The BEx application is printed in the form of a poster where individual areas of the BEx application are printed on separate pages. You can repeat lead columns and column headings.

    Note

    Lead columns are the columns of the table that are furthest to the left. They normally contain the names of characteristics and characteristic values.

    Note

    For Report Web items, the settings that you specified in Report Designer are applied. For this type of Web item, the Poster and Fit to Page properties are not available.

• Page
  • Theme

    Here, you can select which theme to use in the display.

Theme for Display

• Size

  You can select one of the following paper sizes:

  • Broadsheet
  • A0
  • A1
  • A2
  • A2-0
  • A3
  • A4
  • A4-0
  • A5
  • Executive
  • Invoice
  • Ledger
  • Legal
  • Letter
• Format

  You can choose between portrait format and landscape format.

• Margins

  You can specify margins for the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right in mm or in inches.

• Header

  You can specify whether the print version of the BEx application will have a header and whether it will appear on the left, right, or center of the page(s). You can define the content for the header.

  • Page 1
  • Page 1 of ?
  • Date
  • Date, Time
  • Date Time Page 1 of ?
  • Free Text
• Footer

  You can specify whether the print version of the BEx application will have a footer and whether it will appear on the left, right, or center of the page(s). You can define the content for the footer.

  • Page 1
  • Page 1 of ?
  • Date
  • Date, Time
  • Date Time Page 1 of ?
  • Free Text

Presetting the Layout of the Print Version

In your Web application, you can provide interface elements like pushbuttons that users can create print versions with. Using the Command Wizard (see Command ), you specify which properties will be preset when the user chooses the pushbutton.

Specifying the Layout of the Print Version for Report Web Items

You specify the layout of Report Web items in Report Designer (see BEx Report Designer ). When you do this, you also specify how the report will be printed in BEx Report Designer. A BEx report can be printed directly from Report Designer or integrated into a Web application as a Web item.

A Report Web item can contain multiple sections with data providers. You can also insert charts and graphics into a Report item. You can insert charts and graphics in adjoining cells within a section. We recommend inserting charts and graphics above or below sections with data providers. If you insert them in a section with data providers, they might be displayed more than once, depending on the row patterns selected.

If you include a report as a Report Web item in your Web application, the settings applied to this Web item are the ones you specified for the report. The following rules apply to the print version when you use the Report Web item:

• Settings for the layout of the report, such as scaling factor, page format and margins override the corresponding settings for the layout of the print version (see above).
• The settings for the layout of the print version (see above) apply to all other Web items in the Web application.
• Page breaks are automatically added before and after the pages required for the Report Web item.

Layout of the Print Version for Web Applications with Multiple Web Items

If a Web application contains multiple Web items, these are arranged together.

If you prefer a different display in the print version, which allows arranging the Web items next to one another, proceed as follows when designing the Web template:

1. Use parameter EXPORT_LAYOUT Use Layout Container for Export in the underlying Web template (see Web Template Parameters ).
2. Use Web Container Layout to arrange the Web items (see Container Layout ).

   We recommend using layout type Grid (LAYOUT_TYPE = GRID).

   Note

   When arranging the Web items in Web item Container Layout, you can use all Web items apart form Web item Report. When creating a print version, Web item Report is always displayed at the beginning of a new page. Horizontal display of multiple Web items together with a Report Web item on one page is therefore impossible.

3. In the dialog for creating the PDF document, choose the layout options Fit to Page or Fit to Page Width.

   Layout option Poster is not supported for this.

   Caution

   Note that this function is available in the Export Library for SAP Business Explorer, but not in the Adobe Document Services.

Scheduling Print Version Creation

You can specify various times to generate a print version. You do this with BEx Broadcaster (see Scheduling Broadcast Settings ).

The following functions are not available for creating print versions:

• Text direction from right to left (as in Hebrew or Arabic) is not supported.
• To ensure that all Web items in the form appear in the print version in the same way as they appear on the screen, you can use third-party products as PDF converters. The following restrictions apply:
  • No BEx Broadcaster functions are available.
  • Column headers and lead columns cannot be repeated on subsequent pages.
  • It is not possible to scale pages in the print preview.
• You cannot insert images, such as company logos, in the header of the print version.
• When you print the Web application or report, you cannot print documents that are based on metadata, master data or transactional data.