Form development in SAP
At the end of a business process in SAP – regardless of the module – there is the output of a document, i.e. a form (release bill, delivery bill, invoice, etc.). Forms improve the recognizability of information through their standardized structure. They are essential for a functioning communication. In SAP there are different tools for form creation, which are also successfully used by clavis in solutions and projects: SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe and SAP Smart Forms.
SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe
SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe is SAP’s current standard solution for form development and has been on the market since 2005.
Through its collaboration with Adobe, SAP managed to integrate advanced design and printing expertise into form generation. Clear advantages of creating PDF-based forms are platform independency , accessibility, and interactivity: If the forms are opened with Adobe Reader, they have input-enabled fields.
SAP itself uses this technology in its applications and delivers PDF-based print forms with its solutions. The old technologies SAPscript and Smart Forms are no longer developed by SAP. Technological changes will only take place for Adobe Forms.
Switching to this technology therefore makes sense for SAP users for many reasons. The use of pure print forms (non-interactive forms) is part of the license agreement of the respective SAP solution. However, developing your own forms and adapting existing interactive forms causes license fees (see SAP OSS 750784).
SAP Smart Forms
SAP Smart Forms have been on the market since 2001 and are therefore the predecessor of SAP Interactive Forms. With the introduction – and the replacement of SAPscript – end users should be able to customize or even create forms themselves with the help of a graphical interface and ready-made elements – although at least a basic knowledge of ABAP is essential.
The technical advantages – compared to its predecessor SAPscript – were and are, among other things Connection to the SAP transport system, encapsulation, graphical editor, XML output. Smart Forms is still widely used in companies today.
The development of SAP forms is a topic for professionals
The experience from countless projects shows how much effort the development and maintenance of forms causes. Errors in “technical design” or careless, unreflecting adjustments – which unfortunately are frequent – can often only be maintained and corrected with great effort.
The significantly enhanced capabilities of SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe, but also of Smart Forms, increase the requirements towards form developers. This way the development of forms has become a professional topic that can no longer be dealt with on the side in projects.
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