Unable to preview - XML Forms builder

[matteo_montalto]

Hello gurus,

please forgive the silly question as I'm completely a newbie on the argument.

I'm trying to implement a news iview in Portal; I found an exaustive and intesting How-to guide that designs exactly my scenario:

However, I tried to start from the existing SAP_DemoNews project doing some little modifications in order to include a society logo.

So, I opened SAP_DemoNews project and did a Save as... to MyTemplateNews project.

However, even though the project seems correct as there are no errors in the generate() phase, I cannot see a preview of any module as the windows which is opened contains the following message:

XML - Forms  
 
Item /documents/xmlforms/xfbuilder/preview/MyTemplateNews.xml does not exist

I guess there's something wrong with paths and configuration, but didn't found any reference searching the forum; could anyone provide me an help to work with previews?

[LJB · Accepted solution]

Hello Matteo,

Check if your 'XML Forms Preview Servlet' parameter is correctly configured in your URL Generator Service, it should be something like:

/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/com.sap.km.cm.xmlformpreview

Make sure you have a host parameter defined as well which is a FQDN.

For more information see http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/7d/236cfa17034a37a439dc392ec59eb0/frameset.htm

Regards,

Lorcan.

[matteo_montalto · Accepted solution]

Thanks lorcan,

I have no "XML Forms Preview Servlet" entry in URL Generator Service, anyway there's a generic "Preview Servlet:" which I assume is the same thing. It's already set to: /irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/com.sap.km.cm.xmlformpreview .

Host is set to http://<%hostname%>.

I forgot to mention that if I open the SAP_DemoNews project I am able to see the preview. So it seems at first glance a problem of my brand new (copied) project.

[detlev_beutner · Accepted solution]

Hi Matteo,

Just a trivial question: Does /documents/xmlforms/xfbuilder/preview/MyTemplateNews.xml in fact exist? Check out via Content Administration, KM content; if not, check the permissions on that folder (should be inherited from root per default and your user should have read/write permission at least).

> I forgot to mention that if I open the SAP_DemoNews project I am able to see the preview.

Ah, just overlooked this; then the permissions should be no problem. (Anyhow, check the existence in any case to get an idea if the message makes sense.)

> Host is set to http://<%hostname%>.

Even if I doubt that this is the cause of your issue, you definitely should set the value properly (also see http://help.sap.com/SAPHELP_nwpi711/helpdata/en/47/33fca38f8f0c4ee10000000a11466f/frameset.htm).

Also check the default trace for any other logged hints...

Hope it helps

Detlev

[matteo_montalto · Accepted solution]

> Just a trivial question: Does /documents/xmlforms/xfbuilder/preview/MyTemplateNews.xml in fact exist? Check out via Content Administration, KM content; if not, check the permissions on that folder (should be inherited from root per default and your user should have read/write permission at least).

Hi Detlev,

forgive the late, I've just checked it: there's even no xmlforms subdirectory in root/documents, as far as I can check from the KM content. Could this be the problem? Should I create directories that made up the path?

Thanks in advance,

M.

EDIT: Tried to recreate the path, nothing changes.

Edited by: Matteo Montalto on Jan 30, 2012 12:44 PM

[detlev_beutner · Accepted solution]

Hi Matteo,

Did you check the default trace while trying the preview?!

Best regards

Detlev

[matteo_montalto · Accepted solution]

Hi Matteo,
> 
> Did you check the default trace while trying the preview?!
> 
> Best regards
> Detlev

Please forgive me, I'm completely a newbie on the argument. Where can I check the trace when I click on the preview button?

I've got two labels on the bottom of the screen, client registry and server registry, both are blank after a preview's launch.

Actually - don't know why - preview works correctly on the EDIT form, while still crashes on the Show and RenderListItem forms.

Edited by: Matteo Montalto on Jan 30, 2012 1:07 PM

[detlev_beutner · Accepted solution]

Hi Matteo,

> preview works correctly on the EDIT form, while still crashes on the Show and RenderListItem forms

"the preview function in the XML Forms Builder is not supported for the RenderListItem form" (http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/42/f6733c20e73247e10000000a11402f/frameset.htm)

But for Show it should work, and you said it does for standard forms delivered by SAP!?

For the default trace, you can use the log viewer in VisualAdmin (7.0) or the log viewer in NWA (7.0/7.3). VA: http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/57/5f1140d72dc442e10000000a1550b0/frameset.htm; NWA: http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/47/af4560fa711503e10000000a42189c/frameset.htm

Contact your basis people for further information; maybe they can check if the traces throw some insight...

Hope it helps

Detlev

[matteo_montalto · Accepted solution]

> But for Show it should work, and you said it does for standard forms delivered by SAP!?

Hi Detlev, I just checked and actually, the standard News forms delivered by SAP behave exactly as mine one; preview works only for the Edit form. So I guess there's nothing particularly wrong in my test template.

Anyway, after the generation (successful) of my form template, I expect to find it as possible alternative in the Folder->New->Forms-> menù in KM Content. Unfortunately, I cannot see it, even though my custom project has been built correctly. Am I missing something?

As always, thanks for your help.

[detlev_beutner · Accepted solution]

Hi Matteo,

OK, one problem less

For the remaining problem: You can define which forms are available in which folders, for details see http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/EN/8d/2813418366f023e10000000a155106/frameset.htm

Check out the settings, good chance that these restrict the available forms so that you don't see your new form where you expect to.

Hope it helps

Detlev

[matteo_montalto · Accepted solution]

Hi Detlev,

checked settings under the following path:

System Administration -> System Configuration -> Knowledge Management -> Content Management -> Form-Based

Publishing -> Forms Availability

however, even allowing any forms to be visible, I cannot see my TestTemplate one.

I also tried to specify that my TemplateNews has be available in the News folder under the Folder Settings option, but that didn't make the job.

The odd thing is that the project TemplateNews has been saved, built without errors and available for preview (just for the Edit section, but that's the behaviour also of the SAP_DemoNews standard project).

My TemplateNews project has been obtained by copy from SAP DemoNews so my guess it should behave in the same way.

EDIT: navigating thru root -> etc -> -> xmlforms I see a lot of folders which contain the forms; also my TemplateNews is present.

Edited by: Matteo Montalto on Jan 30, 2012 5:36 PM

[detlev_beutner · Accepted solution]

From the given facts, I have no real idea what might be the issue. Anyhow, you can still try to restart your cluster, as the available forms are cached, so invalidating the cache might do the trick.

[matteo_montalto · Accepted solution]

From the given facts, I have no real idea what might be the issue. Anyhow, you can still try to restart your cluster, as the available forms are cached, so invalidating the cache might do the trick.

Bingo! That did the trick... After restart, I did regenerate the project and build preview; after that, my project became visible as possible option in KM Content.

Thanks mate; points awarded.

[former_member338801 · Accepted solution]

Hi Matteo & Detlev,

I need your help to understand the steps & responsible team for this solution pls?

"restart your cluster"

[former_member209326 · Accepted solution]

Hi Ram,

here you can find some more information about starting and stopping SAP Systems:

Starting and Stopping SAP Systems Based on SAP NetWeaver - SAP NetWeaver Library: Function-Oriented ...