PDF-Based Print Forms 

Purpose

PDF-based print forms are part of the SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe solution and are used for printing in SAP systems. As well as standard output on printers, and the option of archiving documents, you can also use your application to send a PDF to the Business Communication Services (BCS). Here, you have the option of faxing or e-mailing your documents.

The following gives you an overview of how a PDF-based print form is structured, and also tells you how to create a PDF-based print form in the development environment of the ABAP Workbench. The integrated Adobe LiveCycle Designer™ software supports you when you do this. This software must be installed on your front end before you can create a layout. To see a print preview of your form, you first need to install Adobe Reader or a complete version of Adobe Acrobat.

This documentation does not discuss how documents are printed and controlled on printers. Instead, it discusses the whole process up to when a file is sent to output management functions, such as the spool system in SAP systems. Note that, for printing and previewing PDF-based forms, you need to use a PCL, Postscript, or ZPL printer and an appropriate device type (such as POST2, HPLJ4, HP9500, PDF1, AZPL203, or AZPL300). You cannot use a printer with the device type SAPWIN/SWIN. More information is available in the SAP Printing Guide (BC-CCM-PRN), under Printing PDF-Based Forms.

Integration

An activated PDF-based print form corresponds to a callable function module in the SAP system. The complete logic of the form is represented by this function module. When a form is printed, it is called by an application program, which collects the relevant application data. The application program uses the function module interface to send the data. Therefore, the data collection process is split from the logic of the form. This means that you only need to adjust the form when you modify the logic or layout.

There are several ways of creating interactive forms. For more information, see Interactive Forms.

Features

To develop a PDF-based print form, you use Form Builder, integrated with ABAP Workbench. This tool enables you to create a complete form description, even if you do not have extensive programming skills. The tool supports you in the following tasks:

●      Creating layouts

Here, you use the Adobe LiveCycle Designer to design pages or create the layout.

●      Specifying the data used in the form

In the form context, you specify which data, tables, texts, and graphics are sent to the form.

●      Migration of Smart Forms

By migrating Smart Forms, you can reuse them as PDF-based print forms. You can find the Smart Form migration tool in transaction SMARTFORMS.

Smart Forms are still supported; you can continue to forms created in Smart Forms without making any changes.

●      Importing existing PDF files or forms

This tool is integrated into Adobe LiveCycle Designer and enables you to use your own templates for your form.

●      Scripting

Adobe LiveCycle Designer uses the script languages JavaScript and FormCalc. FormCalc is a simple Adobe script language for typical form calculations, including mathematical and logical functions, and date and character string functions. For more information about FormCalc, and a FormCalc language reference, see the online help of Adobe LiveCycle Designer.

To achieve the best possible performance when processing forms, use as little scripting as possible in the form itself. If possible, perform all calculations and data analysis in the application program, before the form is called.

●      Printing and archiving the PDF-based print form:

You can use output parameters to specify print and archive settings, and so adapt the output to your requirements. These parameters are not viewed in Form Builder. Instead, you control them with function modules that you integrate in your application program.

Restrictions

Note that local print versions may differ from print versions produced using spool requests in the SAP system. You can print out parts of PDF forms (such as selected pages) as local print versions only, using Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. Information about further restrictions is available in SAP Note 1009567.