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Adobe Forms From Scratch
Adobe Forms From Scratch
Form interfaces and form contexts with layout are called as form objects. These are
different transportable object types. The same interface can be used
by multiple forms (like say in purchasing order, scheduling forms etc).
Enter transaction SFP and you go to the screen shown in the next Figure.
Form Interface:
When you click the field 'Import', you get the above screen. Here you can add ( ) the
fields we need in the form. Here I have added the field 'EMPLOYEE_NAME' and
activated the interface
Note that the parameter, '1BCDWB/DOCPARAMS' is common for all interfaces. It
comes by default and this has a type of SFPDOCPARAMS. This parameter is used
to pass the country key, language and other related details while calling the
form through the standard function module.
As we have activated the interface, now we can create a form and assign this interface
to the form. For that, return back and create the form as in fig below.
Global Definitions:
Use
Global definitions belong to the interface in the Form Builder. Here, you have the
option of defining your own fields to be used anywhere in the form. You can initialize
global data before you start to process the form, for example, to convert
selected application data.
Features
Global Data
Here, you define any data needed by the form, but which has not been provided by the
form interface (for example, to display totals).
Types
Here, you create data types as free ABAP code, if the ABAP Dictionary does not
provide a type.
Field Symbols
You can use field symbols as pointers when you extract data from internal tables.
Initialization:
Use
You can initialize global data before you start to process the form, for example, to
convert selected application data.
Prerequisites
You have defined global data.
Features
You use the ABAP Editor to write the program code (Code Initialization) that
is executed before the form is processed. You can include subroutines (Form Routines)
when you do this.
Specifying a Currency or Quantity Reference:
Use
In the ABAP Dictionary, you can assign a currency or quantity field to a table field. In
the output of these fields, the system can then insert the relevant currency or
unit.
If the value field is in the same table as the corresponding currency or quantity field,
the system recognizes the reference automatically, and formats the value field
according to the currency or unit in the assigned field.
If the value field is in a different table from the currency or quantity field, the system
cannot recognize this reference automatically.
Creating the Form
Assigning Interface
In the dialog box that pop up, assign the interface, which you need to use (the one that
you have already created and activated) as in fig below.
Form Builder: Schematic View.
The graphic above , shows the structure of the screen that appears when you select the
Context tab in the Form Builder. The interface on which the form is based is displayed,
but cannot be changed here.
Once you have created the form (save it as a local object), you get the screen above,
which will have the assigned interface at the left and the context at the right.
Properties in Context
Use
Properties describe the content or meaning of a node.
Activities
1.Double-click the node to open the properties screen.
2.You can now change general properties such as the name or description of the node,
or set the node as Active or Inactive.
3.Only active nodes are sent to the layout in the Form Builder, and used in the form
output.
4.Depending on the chosen node, the system also displays additional node-specific
properties, as well as the general properties. For an
explanation, see the description of the node.
5. As well as the properties, for some nodes you can also specify conditions for the
form output.
Conditions
Use
1.You can define conditions for individual nodes, or for whole subhierarchies of the
context.
2.A node, or all its subnodes, is then only processed if the related condition is met.
3.To select from two alternative subhierarchies in the form output, use the alternative
node.
Prerequisites
A node exists for which you want to define conditions. This node must allow
conditions to be defined.
Features
You can define conditions using logical relationships.
Layout
Once the required parameters are included in the context, you can now go to the layout
to design the form. Click in the tab 'Layout' and you get the screen below, which is
basically the Adobe designer.
About the Layout Editor
1.You create the body and master pages for the form design in the Layout Editor.
2.You can also view and edit the form design and preview the form (the form that the
user will work with) in PDF.
3.The Layout Editor contains four tabs: Body Pages, Master Pages, XML Source, and
PDF Preview.
Palettes provide easy access to the tools without cluttering your workspace. Palettes can
include one or more tabs, each containing common properties.
For example, all objects are stored in the Library palette. As you can see in
the following figure, the objects are further grouped into tabs.
You can arrange the palettes in the workspace to suit your work style. For example, you
can hide the rarely used palettes and move the frequently used ones
into one palette window.
Palettes continued..
The Data view palette contains the parameters and structures that we have defined in
the context level.
(Here the parameter - 'EMPLOYEE_NAME'). The hierarchy palette contains the flow
with which we have defined the fields in the layout. All the objects /
fields which you use in the layout design are reflected in the hierarchy. By default, the
hierarchy contains a master page and the body page. You place
the fields in the layout by dragging them from the Data view palette.
(refer the fig: below).
The properties of all objects in the layout are maintained in palettes - 'Layout', 'Border',
'object' and 'Accessibility'.
Designing of the form can be made, at your comfort level, by setting the scales and
measurements in the palette 'Drawing Aids'.
Hierarchy Palette
The Hierarchy palette is a graphical representation of the contents in the Body Pages
and Master Pages tabs. The palette also displays referenced objects
under the Referenced Objects node. A referenced object is an object that is only added
to a form when it is required.
You can create the content of a form design to correspond to a data source.
Library Palette
The Library palette contains all the objects that you can add to a form design.
Objects are organized into groups. Each group is contained in a tab labeled with the
group's name.
Object Palette
Use the Object palette to modify properties that are specific to the selected object. The
object that is selected in the Layout Editor determines which tabs are available in this
palette.
Border Palette
Use the Border palette to edit the border properties for objects in the form design. You
can edit the borders individually (left, right, top, and bottom) or together. You can also
specify the type of border corner and background color.
Accessibility
Use the Accessibility palette to specify custom text for an object that a
Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) compliant screen reader reads as it passes
through the form. If custom screen reader text is available for the object, the screen
reader will read the custom text and not the tool tip.
Layout Palette
When you select an object on a body or master page, the Layout palette automatically
displays the selected object's settings. Any changes that you
make to the settings in the Layout palette are applied to the selected object.
Similarly, you can edit most of an object's layout settings directly in the Layout Editor.
For example, to change an object's position, you can drag it to
the new location on the page.