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SDN ContributionOffline Interactive Forms Using ABAPApplies to:Interactive Forms based on Adobe softwareSummaryThis paper shows the basic steps you need for creating an Interactive Form based on Adobe software for anoffline scenario using the SAP delivered function modules and the PDF object for extracting the data. Thepaper assumes that the reader has a basic understanding of PDF-based form development.Editor's note:In general, SAP recommends using Web Dynpro integration (Java or ABAP) of Interactive Forms forinteractive scenarios. The Web Dynpro framework handles the required XML transformations automaticallyin the background so that developers do not need to deal with this aspect manually and on an individualbasis.If you create an interactive scenario in transaction SFP, which was designed to meet printing requirements(i.e. for non-interactive output), you always need to manually code the transformation on the return trip of thePDF (to transfer data entered in the form into the backend).Author: Vani KrishnamoorthyCompany: SAP AmericaCreated on: 12 May 2006Author BioVani Krishnamoorthy is an SAP NetWeaver Tools Consultant for SAP America. 2006 SAP AG1

Table of ContentsAdobe Interactive Forms: Overview . 3Business Example . 3Designing a Form . 3Form Builder. 4Interface . 4Form Context . 5Form Layout . 5Generate and Send the Form . 6Data Retrieval and Processing . 6Get the Generated Function Module. 6Start the Form Processing . 6Call the Generated Function Module . 7End Form Processing. 8Send the Form to the Vendor. 8Generated Email . 11Payment Form Emailed to Vendor (PDF 82 KB) . 11Filled Form from the Vendor (PDF 82 KB). 11Extract Data . 11Upload the Form . 11Instantiate the PDF Object . 13Extract the Data . 14Update the Vendor Master . 15Related Content. 17Copyright. 18 2006 SAP AG2

Adobe Interactive Forms: OverviewSince SAP NetWeaver (Web) Application Server 6.40 (SAP NetWeaver 04), Adobe document services(ADS) have been available. This is a set of runtime services deployed on the Application Server that providea range of form and document creation and manipulation functions. The key capabilities of the ADS are thecreation of documents in PDF and various print formats from XML form templates and current system data,and the extraction of user-entered data from interactive PDF forms for rendering and generating AdobeForms. SAP has also provided a single programmatic interface called PDF Document Object (or PDF Object)that enables developers to communicate with ADS. PDF Object is available both in ABAP as well as Java.This paper shows the basic steps you need for creating an Adobe Interactive Form for offline scenario usingthe SAP delivered function modules and the PDF object for extracting the data. The paper assumes that thereader already has the basics of PDF based form development.Business ExampleThe business example in this paper is an offline scenario by which a vendor will be able to fill bankinformation and send this information back so that this can be updated in the vendor master. The SAPvendor no and vendor name are pre populated in the form. Then this form is emailed to the vendor. Thevendor completes the form and sends it back. The data from the PDF form is retrieved and the vendormaster is updated. This does not require any Web Dynpro developmentDesigning a FormThe first step for an offline scenario would be to design a form. This topic has been covered in detail in otherHow-To documents and is also explained in details in SAP documentation (Designing PDF Forms). Thesteps for form design are: Start transaction SFPCreate an interfaceCreate a form objectIn the context link the required parameters from the interfaceFinally create the layout of the form and activate the form.This creates a function module that encapsulates the form description. We will be creating an applicationprogram that collects the relevant data, calls this function module so as to generate the fillable PDF form.Make sure that the ADS is configured and ready for use (including a valid credential – See SAP Note736902). The credential is required if, for example, the form is to be saved after filling. 2006 SAP AG3

Form BuilderInterface 2006 SAP AG4

Form ContextForm Layout 2006 SAP AG5

Generate and Send the FormThe next step is to write the ABAP program which will create the form and email it to the vendor so that it canbe filled offline.The program will have the following steps: Data retrieval and processing : A select statement for the pre-populated informationObtain the name of the Generated Function Module of the formStart the form processingCall the Generated Function ModuleEnd form processingSend the form to the vendor using Business communication services (BCS)Data Retrieval and ProcessingThis can be as simple as a select statement to complex data selection. In this example we select the vendornumber, name and company code from the vendor table LFA1 based on the vendor from the selectionscreen* Get vendor dataselect single lifnr name1 bukrs from lfa1 into wa vndbnk where lifnr p lifnr.Get the Generated Function ModuleThe next step is to get the generated function module. Call function moduleFP FUNCTION MODULE NAME and pass the form name to it. The parameter e funcname will contain thename of the generated function module name.* First get name of the generated function modulecall function 'FP FUNCTION MODULE NAME'exportingi name 'ZVK TESTHD'importinge funcname fm name.Start the Form ProcessingForm printing needs to be explicitly opened and closed. Use the function FP JOB OPEN to open the formfor printing. The parameter ie outputparams determines printer settings. This parameter is also where weask the generated function module to return a PDF file back. Since this is an offline scenario and there is noprinting involved we need to suppress the printer dialog popup as well. Optionally there is a parameterconnection which can be used to determine the RFC destination for ADS. 2006 SAP AG6

* Set output parameters and open spool jobfp outputparams-nodialog 'X'." suppress printer dialog popupfp outputparams-GETPDF" launch print preview 'X'.call function 'FP JOB OPEN'changingie outputparams fp outputparamsexceptionscancel 1usage error 2system error 3internal error 4others 5.Call the Generated Function ModuleThis is similar to the generated function module in Smart Forms. Since the parameters of the functionmodule are defined in the interface, this will vary from form to form. However, /1bcdwb/docparams is astandard parameter. This is used to set the forms locale. This is also where we tell the form that it is fillable.Once this parameter is set - if the ADS is configured correctly (including the credential) - a fillable savableform will be returned when the function module is executed.* Set form language and country (- form locale)fp docparams-langu 'E'.fp docparams-country 'US'.fp docparams-FILLABLE 'X'.* Now call the generated function modulecall function fm nameexporting/1bcdwb/docparams fp docparamsZ VNDBNK wa vndbnkimporting/1BCDWB/FORMOUTPUT fp formoutputexceptions 2006 SAP AG7

usage error 1system error 2internal error 3others 4.End Form ProcessingUse the function FP JOB CLOSE to close the form for printing.* Close spool jobcall function 'FP JOB CLOSE'exceptionsusage error 1system error 2internal error 3others 4.Send the Form to the VendorThe PDF file generated is available in the parameter fp result which is returned by the generated functionmodule. The next step would be to extract this PDF and send it to the vendor using BCS.CALL FUNCTION 'SCMS XSTRING TO BINARY'EXPORTINGbuffer fp formoutput-PDF"PDF file from function moduleTABLESbinary tab lt att content hex.CLASS cl bcs DEFINITION LOAD.DATA:lo send request TYPE REF TO cl bcs VALUE IS INITIAL.lo send request cl bcs create persistent( ).* Message body and subjectDATA:lt message body TYPE bcsy text VALUE IS INITIAL, 2006 SAP AG8

lo document TYPE REF TO cl document bcs VALUE IS INITIAL.APPEND 'Dear Vendor,' TO lt message body.append ' ' to lt message body.APPEND 'Please fill the attached form and send it back to us.'TO lt message body.append ' ' to lt message body.APPEND 'Thank You,'TO lt message body.lo document cl document bcs create document(i type 'RAW'i text lt message bodyi subject 'Vendor Payment Form' ).DATA: lx document bcs TYPE REF TO cx document bcs VALUE IS INITIAL.TRY.lo document- add attachment(EXPORTINGi attachment type 'PDF'i attachment subject 'Vendor Payment Form'*I ATTACHMENT SIZE *I ATTACHMENT LANGUAGE SPACE*I ATT CONTENT TEXT *I ATTACHMENT HEADER i att content hex lt att content hex ).CATCH cx document bcs INTO lx document bcs.ENDTRY.* Add attachment* Pass the document to send requestlo send request- set document( lo document ).* Create senderDATA:lo sender TYPE REF TO if sender bcs VALUE IS INITIAL,l sendtype ADR6-SMTP ADDR value '[email protected]', 2006 SAP AG9

lo sender cl cam address bcs create internet address( l send ).* Set senderlo send request- set sender(EXPORTINGi sender lo sender ).* Create recipient*DATA:lo recipient TYPE REF TO if recipient bcs VALUE IS INITIAL.lo recipient cl sapuser bcs create( sy-uname ).** Set recipientlo send request- add recipient(EXPORTINGi recipient lo recipienti express 'X' ).lo send request- add recipient(EXPORTINGi recipient lo recipienti express 'X' ).* Send emailDATA: lv sent to all(1) TYPE c VALUE IS INITIAL.lo send request- send(EXPORTINGi with error screen 'X'RECEIVINGresult lv sent to all ).COMMIT WORK.message 'The payment form has been emailed to the Vendor' type 'I'. 2006 SAP AG10

Generated EmailPayment Form Emailed to Vendor (PDF 82 KB)Filled Form from the Vendor (PDF 82 KB)Extract DataOnce the vendor fills the form and sends it back the data needs to be extracted from the PDF file. In thisexample we are assuming that the vendor sends back the whole PDF file. But we can also make it easierand send only the data as an XML file when the vendor hits the SUBMIT button. For this we will use the PDFdocument object. SAP provides us with the interfaces IF FP (Form) and IF FP PDF OBJECT (PDF object).These two are the main interfaces which we will be using. The following are the steps to extract the datafrom the PDF file. Upload the form to the systemInstantiate a PDF object and assign the PDF file to the objectExtract the data from the PDF objectUpdate the vendor masterUpload the FormTo keep things simple in this example the filled form is saved in the C drive and uploaded usingCL GUI FRONTEND SERVICES. But there are many other options like sending the email directly to SAP,Receiving the data using http post etc. but this would be beyond the scope of this paper 2006 SAP AG11