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SMARTFORMS vs. SapScript

Former Member
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can anyone explain me the difference with SMARTFORMS vs. SapScript

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Former Member
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hi,

Differences between Smartforms and SAPscript

a) Multiple page formats are possible in smartforms which is not the case in SAPScripts

b) It is possible to have a smartform without a main window .

c) Labels cannot be created in smartforms.

d) Routines can be written in smartforms tool.

e) Smartforms generates a function module when activated.

Also a SAPscript form can be migrated to Smartform. A SAPscript form can be migrated into a Smart Form or convert a SAPscript style into a Smart Style.

When converting a SAPscript style into a Smart Style, the system converts all paragraph and character formats with all their properties and attributes without any changes. Thus you can use the converted Smart Style without making any adaptations.

There are subtle but important distinctions.

1) Saving a Smart Form is a step done only in the development client. It commits your form changes and marks its status as inactive. A form should not be transported in this inactive state. When you are making a lot of changes to a form, it may be a good idea to save periodically. This is especially true if you are on an earlier support pack where an ABAP dump can occur sporadically during activation; in this case, all changes since your last save will be lost. Saving is quick since it does not generate any ABAP code.

2) Activating a Smart Form is a step done only in the development client. It switches your form's status from inactive to, well, active. Activation also saves your form and generates an ABAP function module, so it can take a while to complete. (Note: One way to speed up activation is to omit graphics until your form is close to completion.)

3) Generating a Smart Form can be done anywhere. It regenerates the ABAP function module tied to the form based on the latest contents of the form. This ABAP code is what your print program calls when producing output, rather than the form itself. Technically speaking, your print program doesn't even look at the form itself! Generation should be done on an active form. If this code generation does not take place, no ABAP will exist and you won't be able to produce any output. Typically, a one-time generation occurs automatically behind the scenes when you first attempt to produce output in a target system.

/message/635740#635740 [original link is broken]

plzz reward if helpful...

7 REPLIES 7

i048168
Advisor
Advisor
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Hi,

The following links will be useful.

http://www.sap-img.com/smartforms/smartform-sapscripts.htm

Regards

Vadi

Former Member
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Hi

difference b/w scripts and smart forms.

Compared with SAPscript, the existing form processing tool, SAP Smart Forms provide decisive advantages. Among them are:

�� Adjusting forms is now considerably easier, on the one hand because the tools offer more functions

(for example, you can very easily create tables with the Table Painter of SAP Smart Forms), on the

other hand because the interface between the forms and the application programs has been redesigned.

�� Particular tasks such as retrieving additional data within forms no longer require you to use special

scripting language commands, as you had to in SAPscript. Besides, you can insert normal ABAP

code.

�� The migration of SAPscript forms and styles to SAP Smart Forms is supported. You can also convert

SAPscript styles into Smart Styles.

�� SAPscript texts can be used directly in SAP Smart Forms.

�� In R/3 Release 4.6C, you can decide for some applications whether you want to work with SAPscript

forms as usual or want to use the new SAP Smart Forms. New forms will use SAP Smart Forms.

�� SAP will provide continued support and maintenance for SAPscript forms.

SAPscript has always been with minimal embedded logic. These forms were designed to be driven and controlled by ABAP programs, much in the way ABAP programs read in database tables to produce reports; if you ever download a SAPscript form (e.g., via utility program RSTXSCRP), and look at the portable text file it produces you'll see what I mean. Many text objects (e.g., invoice header texts) are bound directly to documents which are client-dependent, so it makes sense for these text objects to also be client-dependent. From a complexity standpoint, SAPscript forms are close enough to these text objects where I can see how it made sense at the time to make them client-dependent too.

Smart Form is significantly more robust and complex. For instance, it can contain program nodes and nested tables with patterns. When a Smart Form is compiled, it generates an ABAP function module – and these are always client-independent. This is appropriate, given that this form has more in common with an ABAP program than its predecessor. For instance, when a print program calls a Smart Form, the form itself takes over to produce output, without any further direction from the print program. In fact, the join is so seamless that we often find using a Smart Form's Initialization section for logic to handle any data gathering not handled by the print program. I would never even think to attempt this with SAPscript.

Several factors figured into SAP's decision to make Smart Forms client-independent, including customer feedback. There are significant advantages to client-independence. For instance, a change made in one development client happens immediately across all development clients. Among other things, this means we don't have to waste time figuring which client contains the most recent version -- they all do! In addition, transporting Smart Forms is easier, since we can safely bundle them together in the same transport as their client-independent print programs (no worry about mixing client-dependent and independent objects).

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Cheers,

Chandra Sekhar.

Former Member
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Hi,

paste this difference with SMARTFORMS vs. SapScript in search

forum u will get lots of answers

Regards

Former Member
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Hi,

these are teh basic differences

scripts doesnot generate any funtional module where as smart form generates.

multiple page format not allowed in scripts allowed in sf.

labelling is possible in scripts not possible in sf.

script is client dependent and sf is client independent.

regards,

theja

Former Member
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Hi,

1)smart forms without main window u can work with that but where as in script u can not work with out a main window

2)when u activated smart form u will get one function module where as in script u will not get that.

3) multipul page formats possible in script where as in smart form u can not.

reward me a points if it is use full answer

Former Member
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hi,

Differences between Smartforms and SAPscript

a) Multiple page formats are possible in smartforms which is not the case in SAPScripts

b) It is possible to have a smartform without a main window .

c) Labels cannot be created in smartforms.

d) Routines can be written in smartforms tool.

e) Smartforms generates a function module when activated.

Also a SAPscript form can be migrated to Smartform. A SAPscript form can be migrated into a Smart Form or convert a SAPscript style into a Smart Style.

When converting a SAPscript style into a Smart Style, the system converts all paragraph and character formats with all their properties and attributes without any changes. Thus you can use the converted Smart Style without making any adaptations.

There are subtle but important distinctions.

1) Saving a Smart Form is a step done only in the development client. It commits your form changes and marks its status as inactive. A form should not be transported in this inactive state. When you are making a lot of changes to a form, it may be a good idea to save periodically. This is especially true if you are on an earlier support pack where an ABAP dump can occur sporadically during activation; in this case, all changes since your last save will be lost. Saving is quick since it does not generate any ABAP code.

2) Activating a Smart Form is a step done only in the development client. It switches your form's status from inactive to, well, active. Activation also saves your form and generates an ABAP function module, so it can take a while to complete. (Note: One way to speed up activation is to omit graphics until your form is close to completion.)

3) Generating a Smart Form can be done anywhere. It regenerates the ABAP function module tied to the form based on the latest contents of the form. This ABAP code is what your print program calls when producing output, rather than the form itself. Technically speaking, your print program doesn't even look at the form itself! Generation should be done on an active form. If this code generation does not take place, no ABAP will exist and you won't be able to produce any output. Typically, a one-time generation occurs automatically behind the scenes when you first attempt to produce output in a target system.

/message/635740#635740 [original link is broken]

plzz reward if helpful...

Former Member
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