SAPforms Designer (SAP Library - WebFlow Engine (BC-BMT-WFM))

SAPforms Designer

Use

The SAPforms Designer is a tool that allows you to edit SAPforms forms so that they can communicate with an SAP System. In this way, elements from a workflow container can be displayed, for example, and modified using the form. These elements can also contain several lines.

The SAPforms Designer allows you to define and generate the necessary bindings between the controls on an SAPform and the elements of a certain interface in the SAP System.

When the SAPforms form is executed (at runtime), the interface elements are displayed or modified by the controls of the SAPforms form according to this binding definition. The interface is also selected in the SAPforms Designer.

Prerequisites

Since the SAPforms Designer is an integral component of SAPforms, you must install SAPforms.

You will also need a development environment for your SAPforms forms. Microsoft Visual Basic, which is also used in the introductory example, is an example of such a development environment. For more information, see Getting Started. You can also use Microsoft Outlook for design purposes.

There are the following ways of using the SAPforms Designer:

If you design the SAPforms form in a Microsoft Visual Basic environment, you can use the SAPforms Designer as an add-in. In Microsoft Visual Basic, choose Add-Ins ® Add-In Manager ® SAPforms.

You can call the SAPforms Designer directly. This method works with all form types, even those whose development environment does not support add-ins.

You can use the Submit Control Element from SAPforms. The SAPforms Designer is also launched when you use this control.

Features

Screen Layout

Interface as an overview tree

The top part of the screen displays the selected interface description as a tree structure. The individual elements in this structure correspond to the elements of your selected workflow container, for example.

Form fields

The bottom part of the screen displays the bindings in a table. The form controls supported by SAPforms are displayed in the Form Field column. If you have not defined any bindings yet, the SAP data field column is empty.

Assignment using Drag&Drop

To define the binding, you must fill the individual cells with the elements from the tree structure displayed above. This can be performed using either Drag&Drop or the Binding menu.

Menu functions

The file menu

Open form	Opens an existing SAPforms form. This menu option is only displayed if you call up the SAPforms Designer directly. By choosing the SAPforms Form Plug-In, you can define whether a Microsoft Visual Basic form (extension FRM) is Microsoft Outlook form (extension OFT) is opened. If you have already generated this form, the binding information is displayed when you open the form.
Open SAP structures	Opens a SAPforms-compatible interface to the SAP System. The following interfaces are supported: Workflow containers (container structure) You can also open a demo structure.
Open...	The interface type last selected is displayed here.
Consistency check	This function checks whether the binding within an open form is still consistent.
Generate	This function generates the selected SAPforms form.
Generate and Close	This function generates the SAPforms form and closes the SAPforms Designer.
Close	Choose this function to quit the SAPforms Designer.

The Display Menu

Node details

This function displays detailed information on the selected node.

The binding menu

This menu contains various functions with regard to binding definitions. The binding definition controls the data that is transferred to the SAP System using the form controls.

To the data element	Defines a binding between a form control and a structure element. You can also do this with Drag&Drop. When you use the menu function, first select a structure element and then a form control. It is possible to fill several structure elements using a form control.
Release	Deletes a single binding.
Release all	Deletes all bindings.
Reset	Deletes all bindings as well as the current interface structure. This function deletes the entry in the TAG property of the SAPforms form in particular.

The Tools Menu

The menu entry Tools ® Options contains functions for maintaining plug-ins.

Plug-Ins Tab	You can enter the required plug-in in the Active Plug-In field. The SAPforms Designer uses plug-ins to support: Various interfaces in the SAP System. Various environments for designing SAPforms forms. Various methods for communicating and exchanging data with the SAP System. You can also maintain Properties for all plug-ins. For more information, see Plug-Ins. Only the possible SAPXmit-plug-ins are displayed for the SAPData-plug-in selected.
General Tab	You can maintain the RFC user ID and the RFC Language here. By choosing Restore default settings you can reset all the settings to their default values.
Generate Tab	If you choose the Insert initialization code into Load method, the SAPforms Designer inserts a few lines of program code in the form to evaluate the binding definition at runtime and communicate with the SAP System. If you do not choose this indicator, you must enter the source code yourself. You can add a Submit button to your SAPforms form using the button to trigger the insert action. This will then be used to start communication with the SAP System. This information and all other relevant information is stored in the TAG property of the form when the form is generated.

The Help Menu

Tips when displaying start

Using this function you can activate or deactivate the Tips&Tricks which are displayed at the start of a SAPforms Designer terminal session.

Activities

To launch the SAPforms Designer as an add-in under Microsoft Visual Basic, open a form in the Microsoft Visual Basic development environment and choose Add-Ins ® SAPforms ® Designer.

You can also start the SAPforms Designer as a stand-alone version or using the submit control.

All of the supported form controls are displayed in the table control in the bottom part of the window. If you have already processed the form with the Designer, the structure information of the SAP interface and the existing binding are also displayed.

Working with the SAPforms Designer usually entails the following steps:

Maintain Plug-Ins
Open the structure of the selected interface

For more information, see Maintaining Plug-Ins and Opening a Structure.

Define Binding
Generate form

For more information, see Defining and Generating a Binding.