topic Re: SAP Smart Forms in Application Development and Automation Discussions

SAP Smartforms can be used for creating and maintaining forms for mass printing in SAP Systems. The output medium for Smartforms support printer, fax, e-mail, or the Internet (by using the generated XML output).

SMARTFORMS STEPS.

1. In Tcode se11 Create a structure(struct) same like the Internal table that you are going to use in your report.

2. Create Table type(t_struct) of stracture in se11.

3. In your program declare Internal table(Itab) type table of structure(struct).

4. Define work area(wa) like line of internal table.

5. Open Tcode Smartforms

6. In form Global setting , forminterface Import parameter define Internal table(Itab) like table type of stracture(t_struct).

7. In form Global setting , Global definitions , in Global data define Work area(wa) like type stracture(struct).

8. In form pages and window, create Page node by default Page1 is available.

9. In page node you can create numbers of secondary window. But in form there is only one Main window.

10. By right click on page you can create windows or Go to Edit, Node, Create.

11. After creating the window right click on window create table for displaying the data that you are passing through internal table.

12. In the table Data parameter, loop internal internal table (Itab) into work area(wa).

13. In table there are three areas Header, Main Area, Footer.

14. Right click on the Main area create table line by default line type1 is there select it.

15. Divide line into cells according to your need then for each cell create Text node.

16. In text node general attribute. Write down fields of your work area(wa) or write any thing you want to display.

17. Save form and activate it.

18. Then go to Environment, function module name, there you get the name of function module copy it.

19. In your program call the function module that you have copied from your form.

20. In your program in exporting parameter of function pass the internal table(itab).

SAP Smart Forms is introduced in SAP Basis Release 4.6C as the tool for creating and maintaining forms.

SAP Smart Forms allow you to execute simple modifications to the form and in the form logic by using simple graphical tools; in 90% of all cases, this won't include any programming effort. Thus, a power user without any programming knowledge can configure forms with data from an SAP System for the relevant business processes.

To print a form, you need a program for data retrieval and a Smart Form that contains the entire from logic. As data retrieval and form logic are separated, you must only adapt the Smart Form if changes to the form logic are necessary. The application program passes the data via a function module interface to the Smart Form. When activating the Smart Form, the system automatically generates a function module. At runtime, the system processes this function module.

You can insert static and dynamic tables. This includes line feeds in individual table cells, triggering events for table headings and subtotals, and sorting data before output.

You can check individual nodes as well as the entire form and find any existing errors in the tree structure. The data flow analysis checks whether all fields (variables) have a defined value at the moment they are displayed.

SAP Smart Forms allow you to include graphics, which you can display either as part of the form or as background graphics. You use background graphics to copy the layout of an existing (scanned) form or to lend forms a company-specific look. During printout, you can suppress the background graphic, if desired.

SAP Smart Forms also support postage optimizing.

Also read SAP Note No. 168368 - Smart Forms: New form tool in Release 4.6C

What Transaction to start SAP Smart Forms?

Execute transaction SMARTFORMS to start SAP Smart Forms.

Key Benefits of SAP Smart Forms:

SAP Smart Forms allows you to reduce considerably the implementation costs of mySAP.com solutions since forms can be adjusted in minimum time.You design a form using the graphical Form Painter and the graphical Table Painter. The form logic is represented by a hierarchy structure (tree structure) that consists of individual nodes, such as nodes for global settings, nodes for texts, nodes for output tables, or nodes for graphics.

To make changes, use Drag & Drop, Copy & Paste, and select different attributes.These actions do not include writing of coding lines or using a Script language.

Using your form description maintained in the Form Builder, Smart Forms generates a function module that encapsulates layout, content and form logic. So you do not need a group of function modules to print a form, but only one.For Web publishing, the system provides a generated XML output of the processed form.Smart Forms provides a data stream called XML for Smart Forms (XSF) to allow the use of 3rd party printing tools. XSF passes form content from R/3 to an external product without passing any layout information about the Smart Form.

SmartForms System Fields

Within a form you can use the field string SFSY with its system fields. During form processing the system replaces these fields with the corresponding values. The field values come from the SAP System or are results of the processing.

System fields of Smart Forms

&SFSY-DATE&

Displays the date. You determine the display format in the user master record.

&SFSY-TIME&

Displays the time of day in the form HH:MM:SS.

&SFSY-PAGE&

Inserts the number of the current print page into the text. You determine the format of the page number (for example, Arabic, numeric) in the page node.

&SFSY-FORMPAGES&

Displays the total number of pages for the currently processed form. This allows you to include texts such as'Page x of y' into your output.

&SFSY-JOBPAGES&

Contains the total page number of all forms in the currently processed print request.

&SFSY-WINDOWNAME&

Contains the name of the current window (string in the Window field)

&SFSY-PAGENAME&

Contains the name of the current page (string in the Page field)

&SFSY-PAGEBREAK&

Is set to 'X' after a page break (either automatic [Page 7] or command-controlled [Page 46])

&SFSY-MAINEND&

Is set as soon as processing of the main window on the current page ends

&SFSY-EXCEPTION&

Contains the name of the raised exception. You must trigger your own exceptions, which you defined in the form interface, using the user_exception macro (syntax: user_exception <exception name >).

Example Forms Available in Standard SAP R/3

SF_EXAMPLE_01

Simple example; invoice with table output of flight booking for one customer

SF_EXAMPLE_02

Similar to SF_EXAMPLE_01 but with subtotals

SF_EXAMPLE_03

Similar to SF_EXAMPLE_02, whereby several customers are selected in the application program; the form is called for each customer and all form outputs are included in an output request

Advantages of SAP Smart Forms

SAP Smart Forms have the following advantages:

1. The adaption of forms is supported to a large extent by graphic tools for layout and logic, so that no programming knowledge is necessary (at least 90% of all adjustments). Therefore, power user forms can also make configurations for your business processes with data from an SAP system. Consultants are only required in special cases.

2. Displaying table structures (dynamic framing of texts)

3. Output of background graphics, for form design in particular the use of templates which were scanned.

4. Colored output of texts

5. User-friendly and integrated Form Painter for the graphical design of forms

6. Graphical Table Painter for drawing tables

7. Reusing Font and paragraph formats in forms (Smart Styles)

8. Data interface in XML format (XML for Smart Forms, in short XSF)

9. Form translation is supported by standard translation tools

10. Flexible reuse of text modules

11. HTML output of forms (Basis release 6.10)

12. Interactive Web forms with input fields, pushbuttons, radio buttons, etc. (Basis-Release 6.10)

Also check this step by step procedure to create SMARTFORMS:

http://smoschid.tripod.com/How_to_do_things_in_SAP/How_To_Build_SMARTFORMS/How_To_Build_SMARTFORMS.html

Look through for example these links for details about Smart Forms:

http://www.sap-press.com/downloads/h955_preview.pdf

http://www.sap-basis-abap.com/sapsf001.htm

http://www.ossincorp.com/Black_Box/Black_Box_2.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/sap-smart-forms.htm

http://esnips.com/doc/7e67af5c-6188-4252-8613-41816756d560/from-sappres.pdf

http://esnips.com/doc/58566115-54a4-4405-8872-8de952e245e5/smartform.pdf

http://esnips.com/doc/13b7ae7a-b32c-4b96-b588-881859d4ac99/Template,Table,Loop,Command-in-Smartforms.doc

http://esnips.com/doc/97acb00a-e513-4611-91f0-c626f460bfc5/Smart_Form_Overview.pdf

http://esnips.com/doc/77a981b9-8fe3-4fbb-8101-67745c1fe60c/SMART-FORMS_shail.ppt

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/sap-smart-forms.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_46c/helpdata/en/a5/de6838abce021ae10000009b38f842/frameset.htm

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms.htm

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms_described.htm

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms_detail.htm

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms_sapscript.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/sap-smart-forms.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smartforms-faq-part-two.htm

http://www.sapbrain.com/TUTORIALS/TECHNICAL/SMARTFORMS_tutorial.html

Basicly the difference between ALV and Smart Forms:

-Smart Forms are used to create and maintain forms for mass printing.

-ALV is used for reporting and to enhance the readability and functionality of a normal report output.

Regards,

Abhy

Message was edited by: Abhy Thomas

Re: SAP Smart Forms

Former Member — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:55:38 GMT

hi,

http://esnips.com/doc/7e67af5c-6188-4252-8613-41816756d560/from-sappres.pdf

http://esnips.com/doc/58566115-54a4-4405-8872-de952e245e5/smartform.pdf

http://esnips.com/doc/2276d194-dc47-4b1e-9c14-7af0ffe923ca/smartforms-xsf-output.pdf

http://esnips.com/doc/97acb00a-e513-4611-91f0-c626f460bfc5/Smart_Form_Overview.pdf

http://esnips.com/doc/77a981b9-8fe3-4fbb-8101-67745c1fe60c/SMART-FORMS_shail.ppt

http://www.sapbrain.com/ARTICLES/TECHNICAL/SMARTFORMS/smartforms.html

http://www.sap-basis-abap.com/sapsf001.htm

http://www.sap-press.com/downloads/h955_preview.pdf

http://www.ossincorp.com/Black_Box/Black_Box_2.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/sap-smart-forms.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smartform-tutorial.htm

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms.htm

http://www.ossincorp.com/Black_Box/Black_Box_2.htm

http://sap.niraj.tripod.com/id67.html

http://myweb.dal.ca/hchinni/sap/smartforms_home.htm

Step by StepGood one):

http://smoschid.tripod.com/How_to_do_things_in_SAP/How_To_Build_SMARTFORMS/How_To_Build_SMARTFORMS.html

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/sap-smart-forms.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_46c/helpdata/en/a5/de6838abce021ae10000009b38f842/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/printdocu/core/Print46c/en/Data/htm/english.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smart-001.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smartform-tutorial.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smart-002.htm

http://www.sapgenie.com/abap/smartforms.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/sap-smart-forms.htm

Re: SAP Smart Forms

Former Member — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:58:30 GMT

Hai Dilip

Go through the following

I have sent you some documents.

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smart-006.htm

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smartforms-faq-part-two.htm

I suggest you to use the Unit CH(CHARACTERS) for the Left Margin and Width and

LN(LINES) for Upper margin and Height