Interface in 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

You can choose from the following three interface types:

●      ABAP Dictionary-based interface

●      Smart Forms-compatible interface

●      XML-based interface

ABAP Dictionary-Based or Smart-Forms-Compatible Interface

These two interface types have different standard parameters in the form interface. Both interface types give you the following options for including data in PDF-based print forms:

●      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 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 ABAP Editor.

●      You can assign currency and quantity fields.

XML Schema-Based Interface

You use this interface type if you create your forms in Form Builder in Web Dynpro for ABAP. This interface is an XML schema, which must be constructed in accordance with the W3C standard. You create the XML schema as a local XSD-type file, in an appropriate editor on your front end. You cannot edit it within Form Builder. You load the finished interface into Form Builder. 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 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. Form Builder starts.

       5.      You can start to edit the interface. To select the interface type, switch to the Properties tab page.

You cannot make changes if you have chosen Display.