How to trigger InfoPath forms using the output type

[Former Member]

Hi All,

I'm not aware of the concepts of INFOPATHS.I need to trigger Infopath form after the successful completion of a transaction using the output.

In detail: I have suggested to use the SMARTFORMS to display PO data or send as PDF file email attachement using the output types but the client requested to make use of the INFOPATHS for form displaying at the end user.

Please throw somelight how to proceed further.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

Aditya

[Jelena_Perfiljeva]

I agree with you 100%. Smart Forms and Adobe Forms should be used within SAP, especially if it's just for display. IMHO your customers will gain absolutely nothing with using an InfoPath form, but they'll have to invest in additional development and maintenance.

InfoPath is Microsoft's product, part of the Office suite (you can get some basic information on their web site). I have limited experience with it and am not very fond of this software, quite honestly. It has certain advantages, as it may be used to fill in the forms and pass them around the organization (it also works well together with Sharepoint), but trying to "marry" it with SAP could be a challenge, to say the least.

I'd ask them to reevaluate what they're trying to achieve and possibly reconsider. There are proper, proven and easier to use/maintain products in SAP for everything that an InfoPath form would do.

One of the major disadvantages of using InfoPath is that every user would have to have InfoPath installed on their PC (there are web-based forms, but they have limited functionality). Also, when MS releases new Office version, they'll have to wait until it's supported by SAP and make sure all the development still works.

Also check out this thread:

Note that when talking about positives of using InfoPath it's always InfoPath invoking SAP services, not the other way around.

[Former Member]

Has there been any recent research re the benefits in using adobe forms versus infopath to create forms in ERP? We are currently in ECC6 and use sapscript. Whilst looking at adobe forms the question has been asked re why not using infopath forms instead. Whilst adobe forms talks with abap etc I cannot find any specific recent research/formal documentation on this subject. Can anyone help with this issue? Many thanks, Tanya

[Former Member]

As mentioned by above research was done by Forrester Inc. you find the details in the above link. But I personaly prefer Abobe forms but again it depends on the client interest if he is not satified with the information what we provide.

I think there should a formal discussion on what needs to taken by SAP.

[Jelena_Perfiljeva]

Tanya, when sending information to SAP, I can see some advantages in using the InfoPath forms. It's my understanding that interactive Adobe forms require special license. If a company already has MS Office licenses, they most likely have InfoPath as well. Also if Info Path forms have already been used, then there is no additional training required. And Microsoft provides functionality within InfoPath to call the web services, so it can "talk" to SAP relatively easily. So if a company already has trained resources who can maintain InfoPath, they wouldn't need an additional resource/training associated with Adobe forms.

However, this post is about just creating output from SAP. In this case, as I've mentioned above, I just can't see any advantages in using InfoPath. SAP does not support InfoPath forms. They do support SAPscript, Smart Forms and Adobe Forms. By the way, you don't have to jump from script to Adobe, Smart Forms are much easier to develop and maintain than script yet they're easier to learn than Adobe for someone who's familiar with SAPscript (IMHO).

The idea to use InfoPath forms for SAP output could come only from someone who has very little knowledge about both SAP and InfoPath. I'm guessing they just heard the keyword "form" and made an assumption. Otherwise might as well propose to use Excel or Word (by the way, would be even easier than InfoPath).

[Former Member]

Hi Jenela,

Thank you for the reply.

If the client is insisting to use the Infopaths. Do you have any idea how can we trigger the Infopaths from SAP using output types as we do for Smartforms/Scripts.

Regards,

Aditya

[Jelena_Perfiljeva]

In the output configuration there is an option to use output just to run a custom program. In the output configuration, under Processing Routines, choose medium 'Special function' and enter the program name. You'll need to write the program, naturally.

The program must have no parameters or events; the entry point wil be this subroutine (like in SAPscript processing, pretty much):

FORM entry USING return_code us_screen.

You'll have access to NAST table inside the routine.

In the program you'll need to call a web service, which should take care of calling the InfoPath form. (It might be possible to use OLE, but I'm not sure.) Check if Microsoft has any ready-to-use web services, otherwise one wil have to be written in .NET or something. There must be some info on SDN on how to consume a web service, if you're unfamiliar with the concept.

If the customers are bent on using InfoPath, maybe they have some .NET developers in-house. They should be able to help.

[Former Member]

Many thanks for your reply,

I did contact Forrester to see if they had any more recent research (this one being created in 2003) as all products have come along way since then. They said however they do not have. The document is ideal however probably out of date for me. Many thanks - will continue the research and come back if I find anything. Regards, Tanya