Extend SAP R/3 4.x with Interactive PDF Forms

[Former Member]

Hi there,

In this blog of Matthias Zeller <a href="http:///people/matthias.zeller2/blog/2004/06/22/the-hidden-secret-of-adobe-reader hidden secret of Adobe Reader</a> there is the following paragraph:

<i>While mySAP ERP 2004 provides many business scenarios using Interactive Forms out-of-the-box, a lot of customers have asked me how they can use the new Interactive Forms with existing R/3 applications. Therefore, I would like to encourage you to vote for my SAP TechEd presentation proposal ("Extend your SAP R/3 4.x applications with interactive PDF forms"). I plan to discuss how you can connect your existing SAP R/3 applications with SAP Web AS 6.40 to enable interactive form workflows.</i>

Can somebody tell me if this presentation is somewhere on SDN? Or can somebody tell me where i can find more information about this subject?

Thx in advance.

Regards Maarten.

[maarten_duits2]

Hi Hans and Markus,

Thx for the replies.

First off all i hope that the session will be given at the Teched this year, there will be at least one listener ).

We are using R/3 4.7 and we are not upgrading to mySAPErp in the near future. What the idea is, is to create something like MSS in mySAPERP. So we need to build the workflow ourselves.

I am not an workflow expert, so maybe someone can explain me how it works.

When you fill in a interactive PDF form and submits it to SAP R/3 what do i configure in R/3 to trigger the workflow?

Can you only make use of the SAP Business WorkPlace (SBWP) inbox, or can i also make use of the mail client (ie. Lotus Notes of Outlook)?

Thx in advance.

Regards, Maarten.

[MichaelSambeth]

Hello Maarten,

regarding SAP ABAP workflow integration and workflow execution in Lotus Notes pls take a look at the following thread:

Regards

Michael

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Maarten,

Here's a brief run-down on how you could make use of SAP/Adobe Interactive Forms and Workflow:

1) Remember that a form is really just a UI for collecting data. A PDF form can be used to collect data online (connected to your SAP system) or offline, e.g. you could send it as a mail attachment, fill it in, and email it to a central point for uploading into the system.

2) The main requirements for using SAP Interactive Forms are:

a) A NW04 (6.40) or NW04s (7.00) WebAs (Java Stack) to run Adobe Document Services. This is the critical component that assigns ReaderRights to the document, e.g. so that the user can change the data and save it on the document. You could run a WebAs like this alongside your R/3 4.7 - e.g. if you have an XI system or Enterprise Portal you could use that system to run Adobe Document Services. Every form you create must be generated via the Adobe Document Services to get the Reader Rights. Note: Get a NW04s environment if you can - as this release has usefuul new features such as loading attachments to the PDF, using digital signatures, etc.

b) A WebDynpro application to generate the Adobe form via Adobe Document Services, and to execute the Adobe Form when using online mode, and to upload offline forms. Tutorials on how to do this are available in SDN - have a look at the Adobe section within WebDynpro. Note: From ECC 5.0 there are some standard WebDynpros apps provided, but in R/3 4.7 you will need to write your own.

c) There's also a licensing requirement for any production custom forms (SAP provided forms and cosmetic changes to those forms are free) so make sure you get your SAP account manager involved to help sort out how your intended usage will fit in with your current license agreement and any discounts that may apply.

3) To use the "form" with workflow has some additional requirements:

a) You need to store the data entered via the form somewhere that is accessible by Workflow. The easiest approach here is to use the standard form handling technique Internet Service Requests. Transaction QISRSCENARIO will let you define all of the form fields, give you BADIs for doing validation, raising workflow events, etc. Also from ECC 5.0 onwards using Adobe forms as the form entry is a standard option for this technique, so this will help reduce the upgrade impact when you eventually do upgrade.

b) Assuming you use ISRs, have your WebDynpro App call the function module ISR_PROCESS_EVENT to pass the data to R/3 and do the validation checks.

c) Assuming you use ISRs, you use the BOR object for notification such as BUS2078, as your main object for the workflow. The form data is attached to the notification and can be retrieved using function module ISR_SPECIAL_DATA_GET.

d) If you want to call your WebDynpro App from SBWP (I take you don't have Enterprise Portal?) then use transaction WF_EXTSRV to define the web service to call your WebDynpro app and generate a workflow task for it. Also you must configure transaction WF_HANDCUST to enable R/3 to handle web services. Note: If you do have the Enterprise Portal, you can use transaction SWFVISU instead.

I'd strongly recommend you read the ISR cookbook at http://service.sap.com/isr as well. ISRs aren't the only way to use Adobe forms with R/3 but they are extremely handy if you want to use your Adobe form with Workflow.

As for Lotus Notes, you can use your WebDynpro app to generate and send/receive a form to/from an email address. You can also put a hyperlink in your workflow task to call your WebDynpro app and use RSWUWFML2 (swap to Enhanced Notifications when you upgrade) to send out a mail with the hyperlink attached as per usual.

You'll also find some useful threads on Adobe forms and Workflow in the SDN BPM Forum. So if you have workflow specific questions try raising them in the BPM forum.

Enjoy!

Regards,

Jocelyn

[Former Member]

Hi Jocelyn,

Thanks for valuable information. But i have a case, slightly deviating from this. Suppose i develop the form in NWDS form resides on J2ee engine. And i want to integrate this workflow with processing (that generates workitem and approvers should be able to see the form in Java webdynpro via UWL). can you pls uncover the realities for this case like efforts involved, technical understandings, how workflow fills the pdf object that is in j2ee system). I have used java WD with interactive forms in past to write the data into backend. But not used extensively in workflow scenario with workitems involved.

Any inputs will be great help

Thanks in advance once.

Regards

Ravindra

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Ravindra,

Yes that's fine ... you would simply have workflow call the form using a web service, i.e. workflow doesn't talk to the form directly, it talks to a form handling application. In your J2EE case, you would be writing the form handling application.

If you want workflow to be able to use information on the form you will need to either pass it directly to workflow or store the form data in the backend system (where workflow is running) so that both your form handling application and workflow can access the form data. Storing it in the backend is preferable particularly if there are a lot of form fields or the structure of the data is complex.

You would need a workflow developer and at least a R/3 4.7 or other 6.20 SAP Netweaver backend for preference as then calling the web services application is simpler (more configuration options provided). The workflow developer will also need to add code to read the form data from its store, as well as creating the workflow.

It's a good idea to assign the form a unique form number also so that only the form number needs to be passed between workflow and the form handling application - not all of the form details.

Also your form handling application needs to handle: form creation, form update, form display, etc.

For approval scenarios you can get away with using a user decision, i.e. question and answer, step with a link to your form handling application in display mode.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Jocelyn

[markus_meisl]

Hi Maarten,

the presentation Matthias suggested was through the SDN track for TechEd last year and - unfortunately - wasn't accepted. However, a Product Management colleague of mine is planning to offer a TechEd workshop this year that shows how to integrate Interactive Forms with workflow, which would also show how to do it with lower-release backends. TechEd Planning isn't completed yet so keep tuned to https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/sapteched for more information in May and June.

In any case, as Hans says there are different ways of using Interactive Forms with lower releases, the easiest one (without workflow) in NetWeaver 04 being a Web Dynpro for Java application that accesses R/3 via adaptive RFC (BAPI model). ISR wouldn't be an option as you also need the ERP 2004 functions in addition to the mere technology in NetWeaver. However, it is possible to build something that looks like a Manager Self-Service and, thus doesn't look different from what you get in MSS in ERP 2004 - and the workflow would be developed in the lower backend. Unfortunately, all this is currently not documented - but people who know workflow should be able to build this.

Best regards,

Markus Meisl

SAP NetWeaver Product Management

[Former Member]

Hello Maarten,

If I understand the included text by Matthias right, I think that this is a forthcoming presentation for the next TechEd. At least, I could not find anything on my teched 2005 and 2006 CD's.

However, from a technical point of view it is not too difficult to combine a 46 system with a 640 system using RFC or IDOC.

There are many possibilities. However, I do not know for what purpose Adobe IF should be used in your case. Is it just printing, or are you thinking of specific functionality like Internal Service Request?

At least, there is no option to integrate Adobe IF on a 46 system by some simple clicks with the mouse.

Regards, Hans GM