Interface in the Form Builder 

Use

You want to include data in your form that was not specified when the form was created. This can include the following data:

·        Data selected from the database tables of your application. You use the form interface to specify this data.

·        Data provided by the SAP system or by the PDF-based print forms solution, such as dates

·        Data that you have calculated or implemented in a form yourself, such as totals for tables

For all three of these data types, the data is not specified or inserted in the form until runtime. You use fields inserted as placeholders in the form to specify the appearance and location of the data in the form. These fields are replaced by the current data at runtime.

Features

ABAP Dictionary-Based or Smart-Forms-Compatible Interface

You have the following options for including data in PDF-based print forms here:

·        In the form interface, you specify the data that is exchanged with the application program (such as tables).

·        Under Global Definitions, you define your own fields.

·        The System Fields contain data with a predefined meaning (such as the date).

You cannot enter system fields directly. When you call the context in the Form Builder, the system shows the available system fields automatically in the interface. You can then drag and drop the required fields to the context.

·        Under Code Initialization, you can create program code to modify global definition data before the form is processed. You can use form routines that are defined in the ABAP Editor.

·        You can assign currency and quantity fields.

XML Schema-Based Interface

In this interface type, you use an XML schema that is located on your front end in a local XSD-type file. You specify the file name when you create the XML schema-based interface. The XML schema already contains the form context, which is sent directly to the data view in Adobe LiveCycle Designer. Unlike ABAP Dictionary-based interfaces and Smart Forms-compatible interfaces, you do not need to create the form context here.

The XML schema-based interface consists of the following:

·        The form interface with the parameters that specify the data. The runtime data from the application program is specified in the import parameter /1BCDWB/DOCXML (type XSTRING).

·        The XML schema. The loaded XML schema is displayed here.

 

Activities

There are two ways of calling the Form Builder for the interface:

From the ABAP Workbench (Transaction SE80)

Choose Form Objects ® Interfaces and select an interface.

From Transaction SFP

...

       1.      Call transaction SFP.

       2.      Choose Interface.

       3.      Enter the name of the interface.

       4.      Choose Create, Change, or Display.

The Form Builder starts. You can start to edit the interface.

This is not possible if you have chosen Display.