This section describes the processes related to document, template, and element management.
You can run SAP Document Builder and Document Builder Cockpit using a shortcut on the SAP Easy Access Menu or from Customizing.
Procedure
To create a shortcut to SAP Document Builder from the SAP Easy Access Menu, proceed as follows:
Select the Favorites folder under the SAP Easy Access Menu.
Right-click to open the context menu.
Click Add other objects.
Select Web Dynpro Application.
To add a shortcut to SAP Document Builder, enter /IPRO/WD_DOCB. To add a shortcut to Document Builder Cockpit, enter /IPRO/WD_COCKPIT.
Click Enter.
To start SAP Document Builder from Customizing, proceed as follows:
Perform the activity in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under .
Paste the URL into the corresponding field. To obtain the URL, see Finding the SAP Document Builder Web Interface URL.
Click Execute to access the SAP Document Builder Web interface.
To run SAP Document Builder from Customizing, you must find the SAP Document Builder Web interface URL.
Procedure
To find the URL, proceed as follows:
Run transaction Object Navigator (SE84).
Expand the Web Dynpro folder in the Repository Information System.
Double-click Web Dynpro Applications.
Enter /IPRO/WD_DOCB and click Execute.
Double-click the search result.
On the Properties tab page, the Administrative Data field contains the URL for the SAP Document Builder Web interface.
Copy the URL.
Creating and modifying documents are workflow-enabled and support collaboration: you can edit documents online and offline and share them internally.
Procedure
To create documents in SAP Document Builder, proceed as follows:
Start SAP Document Builder.
Select the relevant document content.
Choose
.After assembling your document, click Save.
Result
You created a document that is ready to send. Click Release to send your document.
This section describes the standard tab pages that are displayed when you create a document.
Header Data
The Header Data tab page contains the following:
General Data
Contains general information about your document, as well as the available options
Fields marked with a red asterisk are mandatory
Regulation Sets
Displays the regulation sets to be evaluated for your document
Document Versions
Displays the existing versions of your document; you can work on several versions of the same document.
Click New Version to create a new version of a document; the new version is selected automatically.
Click Delete Version to delete obsolete versions of a document.
Administrative Data
Document content
Name of the person who created the document
External document number, which provides an identifier from an external application when SAP Document Builder is integrated with an external solution
Status as defined in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under
Dialog
You begin the dialog process on the Dialog tab page. The dialog process dynamically selects elements to be included in your document. Questions based on rules are displayed and subsequent questions are determined by previous answers. The answers to the questions define the clause content for the document. The system avoids extraneous questions, asking only relevant questions to generate the document.
Consider the following rule to include Clause A:
If cost >$10.00 and color=yellow and shape=square, then include Clause A.
If you specify that the cost is $3.00, you are not asked about color and shape since those criteria are not applicable in this context. The system dynamically determines follow-on questions.
In the Document data groups field, a structure is displayed in a data tree. The top node represents the top node variable and is marked with a red X until you answer all the questions in the structure, at which point the red X becomes a green check mark.
A list of questions is displayed to the right of the Document data groups field. A question mark icon on the right side of a question refers to a reference, which contains context-sensitive information that assists you in making a decision on a specific question.
You proceed through the questions using Previous and Next, answer all questions with the default values from the template selected on the Header Data tab page, or use the default values defined for each variable in Customizing. The system dynamically adds questions and nodes to the tree based on your responses, which can be configured as checkboxes, radio buttons, texts, or dropdown lists. You can add read-only questions.
After you answer all questions for a particular node, click Next to proceed to the next grouping. When you have answered all questions for each grouping, the red X in front of the top node of the structure becomes a green check mark. You can see the result of the dialog process on the Document Summary tab page.
Document Summary
The document summary represents an outline of the document by listing the elements included in the assembled document. An initial element list based on the document selection and your dialog responses is displayed on the Document Summary tab page. You can add, edit, or delete elements from the list except mandatory elements. For more information about defining elements, see Element Management.
In the Document Sections area, the sections of the document are displayed, enabling you to focus on one document section at a time. When you select a specific section, the element list for that document section is displayed in the Element Summary area.
The Element Summary toolbar enables you to perform the following:
Action |
Result |
Export |
Enables you to export the element list to Microsoft Excel |
|
Enables you to add elements to the element list |
Edit |
Enables you to edit the selected element |
|
Enables you to insert an existing element into the element list |
Cut |
Enables you to cut the selected element and paste it to the clipboard |
Paste |
Enables you to paste elements from the clipboard into the element list |
Delete |
Enables you to delete an element from the element list. |
|
Enables you to perform a variety of activities; certain options depend on other options |
Depending on your settings, the following information is displayed in the element list in the Element Summary area:
Position
Corresponding document section
Name
Effective date
Version number
Regulation set to which the element is assigned
Display in the document: full text or incorporated by reference (IBR)
If the element is IBR, only the title is displayed in the assembled document. You can switch to full text.
Description
Whether the element is editable
An element is editable if you see a pencil icon.
Inclusion status
Optional (green light)
Mandatory (red light)
Recommended (yellow triangle)
Associated fill-ins (if applicable)
The status of the fill-in, complete or incomplete, is displayed in the element list.
Associated content modifiers
Associated alternate elements
Checkbox indicating an element has been changed
Whether an element is optional
Update status
When you select an element, the following information is available on your screen:
Type
Full text
You can edit the full text of the element by selecting an element from the list and clicking Edit.
Details about associated guidance
The guidance assists the user by informing them of the context in which an element is used or included in the document.
Associated rule
Print preview
You can save your work as a user template to facilitate creating future documents similar to your current document. Click Save as User Template after you finish defining your elements.
Preview
You can view the assembled document, the associated responses report, and the reviewer’s checklist report on the Preview tab page. Responses reports provide a list of the questions and answers from the dialog process used to construct the document. Reviewer’s checklist reports list customized elements in a document. For more information, see Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under .
You can save, e-mail, or print the available documents. You can configure your system to save these documents to a predefined location, which can be in another application once the document is released.
Attachments
You can attach additional documents from your PC or server. On the Attachments tab page, click Browse to upload the file, enter a description, and click Upload. The document is visible on the Attachments tab page. You can preview or delete attachments any time.
This process describes how documents are approved when you activate the related workflow.
Prerequisites
You have checked the document approval workflow, related tasks, and starting conditions using transaction Workflow Builder (SWDD), as well as whether the starting conditions are active.
You have activated the workflow in the Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under and under .
Process
The document approval workflow is as follows:
The author creates a document; the document status is set to New.
The author edits the document; the document status is set to Held.
The author releases the document for approval; the document status is set to In approval.
The manager can approve or reject the document in the universal worklist (UWL). If approved, the document status is set to Released.
Templates provide predefined content, default fill-in values, and custom elements to create documents at various levels. SAP Document Builder distinguishes between user templates and standard templates. User templates are available to a specific user; standard templates are available to all users. User templates are created from scratch or by editing a standard template and saving it as a user template.
Not all authors can create system templates.
The template creation and modification process are workflow-enabled. Template workflows are based on template categories and assigned to approvers. Templates are ready to use once approved and activated.
Procedure
To create document templates, proceed as follows:
Start SAP Document Builder.
Select the relevant document content.
Choose
to create a standard template or choose to create a user template.After assembling your document, click Save.
You can save your standard template as a user template. After assembling your standard template, click Save as User Template and enter a name for the user template.
This process describes how templates are approved when you activate the related workflow.
Prerequisites
You have checked the template approval workflow, related tasks, and starting conditions using transaction Workflow Builder (SWDD), as well as whether the starting conditions are active.
You have activated the workflow in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under and under .
You have defined template categories and assigned users in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Template Management:
Define Template Categories
Assign Users to Template Categories
Process
The template approval workflow is as follows:
The author creates a template; the template status is set to New.
The author edits the template; the template status is set to Held.
The author releases the template for approval; the template status is set to In approval.
The user can approve or reject the template in the UWL. If approved, the template status is set to Released.
SAP Document Builder supports fill-ins in elements and enables you to enter data in elements.
Prerequisites
You have created fill-in variables in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under .
Procedure
To convert the fill-in variable tree to an XML schema in Microsoft Word, proceed as follows:
Generate a DOCX or WordML schema for a specific content in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under .
Download the schema to your PC.
Create an XML schema library in Microsoft Word.
Add the schema to the XML schema library.
Result
The <contractDoc> and <clause> tags are displayed in created elements in the content associated with the schema. You insert fill-ins into the clause text from the XML Structure task pane.