Print button in ABAP WebDynpro

[former_member190469]

Hello all,

The client has requested a 'Print' button in our webdynpro application - ie a simple button that triggers the browser command Ctrl P.

I have searched the forum, and it seems that this is not possible, because WebDynpro cannot execute browser commands (or indeed, javascript).

Can someone please suggest a solution - OR - confirm that this functionality is not possible?

thanks

Paul

Note: Note: We do NOT want to use ALV, Adobe or Smartforms. We just want to print what's on the webdynpro screen.

[Former Member]

Hi Nigel,

If you are using the Internet Explorer 7, you can use CTRL + P to invoke print directly on any WebDynpro ABAP view. This is IE 7.0 browser featute & always has print preview & print options available from File Menu's. So you dont require any additional buttons on view :).

Greetings

Prashant

[former_member190469]

Hi Prashant,

Thanks for your response. Our (public) users are not browser savvy; they do not know about Ctrl P. They just want to press a 'Print' button.

I would like to know if it is possible to implement a simple 'Print' button in Abap WebDynpro.

cheers

Paul

[Former Member]

Hi,

[;

[former_member190469]

Neha,

Thanks for that. I have seen that thread, and the answer seemed inconclusive.

I would like to see a clear confirmation that a simple 'Print' button (which invokes Ctrl P) is NOT possible in ABAP WebDynpro.

Then I can take that information back to the client. (They will not be pleased!)

thanks

Paul

[uday_gubbala2]

Hi Nigel,

I haven't tried this out myself but J Are was saying that the [approach in this thread|; was working out fine for him. He had also given out an extensive description of what he had done in there. So may be try check out his approach and see if that suits you.

Regards,

Uday

[former_member190469]

Uday,

Thanks for that link - hadn't seen that one yet. It's a bit ugly, but it's also the closest thing I've seen to a solution.

Unfortunately, it is only suitable for WebDynpros with a single VIEW, and we have many.

cheers

Paul

[uday_gubbala2]

Hi Nigel,

I can understand when you say that the earlier info was kind of ugly!

May be as a workaround you can try code a BSP with the javascript ( w i n do w . p r i n t( ) ) to open the print options window. And now place an LinkToURL element in your WDA & call this BSP up on clicking on it... Am looking out for an easier & better solution myself...

Regards,

Uday

[Sm1tje]

I would like to see a clear confirmation that a simple 'Print' button (which invokes Ctrl P) is NOT possible in ABAP WebDynpro.

Well, here it is: This is just not possible within WD4A.

You can not invoke that default print button. What should that printbutton do? Print the entire page, print a table, print.....

WD4A is normally intended to be used with Adobe Interactive forms. So everything you want to print, can be created on your form and have it printed via Adobe reader. It is also possible to create a smartform and print that. It is just an extra step before the print button will be displayed (invoked from within Abobe reader).

[former_member190469]

Micky,

I thank you for that clear response: It is not possible to print from ABAP WebDynpro.

> What should that printbutton do?

We want it to do the same as Ctrl P, which is to print the entire web page. (We don't have frames etc)

>WD4A is normally intended to be used with Adobe Interactive forms

This is news to me! Is this an accepted view in the SAP communit... that WebDynpro requires Adobe to achieve full functionality? That is disappointing, to say the least. And a step back from BSP.

We are building multiple online calculators, and it would be a huge overhead to have to develop (and maintain) an Adobe form for each calculator, simply to enable the user to print the contents of the screen....

I have read in SDN that you can invoke a browser Print command from Java Webdynpro. A class WDPrintService has been provided.

How can it be that this functionality is "not possible" for one flavour of WebDynpro, but plainly available in the other....?

cheers

Paul

[former_member190469]

Uday,

That sounds like a great workaround - once developed, I could use that same BSP for all my WebDynpros. Could you please post some sample code? Unfortunately I do not have any experience with BSP.

thanks

Paul

[former_member190469]

It has been establisehd that such a 'Print' button is not possible in ABAP WebDynpro, unless you are willing to create (and maintain) an additional Adobe form.

We have decided to tell the users to just choose the File > Print menu option, if they want to print the web page.

This will have to do, until ABAP WebDynpro catches up with Java WebDynpro!

Thanks to all who responded.

cheers

Paul

[Former Member]

Hi Liam,

Well, web dynpro abap has caught up with web dynpro java. So now the print functionality is available but it probably would depend on the version that you have.

Link: [Print in web dynrpo abap|http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/f8/872806981d4411b5ce51a00207ed31/frameset.htm]

P.S - better late than never

[thomas_jung]

This functionality is available for the Business Suite (where most people do Web Dynpro ABAP Development) in Business Suite 7 Innovations 2010 (basically all the enhancement package levels based upon NetWeaver 7.0 Enhancement Package 2).

[Former Member]

We plan to implement EhP 6 (Ramp Up) of ERP 6.0 in our NetWeaver 7.0 (no EhP) system. Does ERP 6.0 EhP 6 contain this functionality too? I suppose not - but that would turn our planning upside down. Probably in the meantime there has been another possibilty established to realize this functionality as to implement NW 7.0 EhP 2 (we would prefer to upgrade to NW 7.3)?

[thomas_jung]

Your in luck. Erp 6.0 ehp 6 does contain this functionality because that enhancement package will also force the update of the NetWeaver layer to 7.03 (7.0 enhancement package 3). 7.03 runs basis 7.31 so it's actually a layer release of the technology layer than anything you mentioned.