How to Create Custom Master form Templates?

What is master form template?

A new style of output management is introduced by SAP S/4HANA. Output control acts as an interface between the SAP NetWeaver technologies and business applications.This tutorial tells you about master form template and steps to create custom master form templates.

A form master template is a separate form template (XDP file). It includes different layout definitions (fragments) for one or more master pages. Only one of them at a time can be referenced by the application form. SAP ships default master form templates. They can be adapted by customers.

A master form template is a separate form template (XDP file) which includes different layout definitions (fragments) for one or multiple master pages. But only one of them can be referenced by the application form at a time.

The master form template consists of two parts:

1) Layout (XDP file including the fragments)

2) Content (logo and static texts)

The layout can be changed with Adobe LiveCycle Designer (ALD) and the content can be created in transactions SO10 (SAPscript texts) and SE78 (Form Graphics).

The layout and content can be combined in the customizing activity "Define Rules for Determination of Master Form Template" (see Note 2292539).

You can create SAPscript texts in many languages. At runtime, the system will choose the language variant corresponding to the language of the output item's recipient.

Only plain text is supported for SAPscript texts.

Keeping the same SAP layout and adding content to it

After downloading the SAP master form template "SOMU_FORM_MASTER_A4" and reviewing it you decided to keep the layout but you want to add your own logo and static text for the sender address and the footer blocks for each of your sales organizations (SALES_ORG1 and SALES_ORG2).

For creating the content for the logo. Please follow the following steps:

• Start transaction SE78.
• Select "Bitmap Images" in the navigation tree.
• Enter a name for the logo, for example "YY1_SALES_ORG1_LOGO".
• Now choose between "Black and White Bitmap" and "Color Bitmap".
• Press F5 for the import dialog.
• Browse for your logo.
• Execute the import.
• Repeat the steps for sales organization SALES_ORG2.

For creating the content for the sender address. Please follow the following steps:

• Start transaction SO10.
• Enter a text name, for example "YY1_SALES_ORG1_SENDER_ADDRESS".
• Now keep the text ID as "Standard text".
• Please set your language to "English".
• Choose "Create".
• Maintain your text for the footer block. Do not use any formatting, just plain text.
• Save your entries.
• Repeat the steps for sales organization SALES_ORG2.

For creating the content for static texts (footer blocks)

• Start transaction SO10.
• Enter a text name, for example "YY1_SALES_ORG1_FOOTER_BLOCK1".
• Keep the text ID as "Standard text".
• Now set your language to "English".
• Choose "Create".
• Maintain your text for the footer block. Please do not use any formatting, just maintain plain text.
• Save your entries.
• Repeat the steps for a second footer block.
• Repeat the steps for sales organization SALES_ORG2.

Result

Logos: YY1_SALES_ORG1_LOGO and YY1_SALES_ORG2_LOGO

Static texts:
YY1_SALES_ORG1_SENDER_ADDRESS
YY1_SALES_ORG2_SENDER_ADDRESS
YY1_SALES_ORG1_FOOTER_BLOCK1
YY1_SALES_ORG1_FOOTER_BLOCK2
YY1_SALES_ORG2_FOOTER_BLOCK1
YY1_SALES_ORG2_FOOTER_BLOCK2

For making changes in the IMG activity "Define Rules for Determination of Master Form Template"

• Create a new entry.
• Set "Rule ID" to "SALES_ORG1".
• Set "Number" to "1".
• Set "Org. Unit Type" to "EKORG".
• Set "Org. Unit ID" to "SALES_ORG1".
• Set "Master Form Template" to "SOMU_FORM_MASTER_A4".
• Set "Text Type" to "S".
• Set "Sender Address" to "YY1_SALES_ORG1_SENDER_ADDRESS".
• Set "Footer Block 1" to "YY1_SALES_ORG1_FOOTER_BLOCK1".
• Set "Footer Block 2" to "YY1_SALES_ORG1_FOOTER_BLOCK2".
• Set "Graphics Type" to "S".
• Set "Logo 1" to "YY1_SALES_ORG1_LOGO".
• Save your entries.
• Now create a second rule for SALES_ORG2 in the same way and Instead of using "SALES_ORG1" use "SALES_ORG2".

Result

1. For output items with the sender organizational unit "SALES_ORG1", the rule "SALES_ORG1" will be true, and the assigned content will be applied to the (master) form template.
2. For output items with the sender organizational unit "SALES_ORG2", the rule "SALES_ORG2" will be true, and the assigned content will be applied to the (master) form template.
3. Output items with different senders would need the according rules or at least one generic rule (with generic content). Because without it no content will be found for these items.

Changing the SAP layout and adding content to it

After downloading the SAP master form template "SOMU_FORM_MASTER_A4" and reviewing it you want to change the layout for the fragment "Portrait_OutboundLetter". And you also want to add your own logo and static texts for the sender address and the footer blocks for each of your sales organizations (SALES_ORG1 and SALES_ORG2).

For editing the master form template. Please follow the following steps:

• In the app "Maintain Form Templates" download the master form template in your desktop.
• Now open the XDP file with Adobe LiveCycle Designer (ALD).
• Go to the master pages defined under the fragment "Portrait_OutboundLetter".
• Adjust the layout of master page "mst1" according to your needs (for example, adjusting content area).
• Adjust the layout of master page "mst2".
• Save the form template.

Note: The layout changes to a fragment in the master form template would require according to the changes in the application form templates which reference this fragment. The changes in the content area have to be verified with an application form template.

For uploading the master form template. Please follow the following steps

• Open "Maintain Form Templates" app.
• Then choose "New". After choosing new a creation dialog will be displayed.
• Set "Form Template Name" to "YY1_MY_MASTER_FORM_TEMPLATE".
• Set "Language" to "English".
• Set "Data Provider" to "FDP_OM_FORM_MASTER_SRV".
• Set "Form Type" to "Master".
• Now Browse for your local XDP file.
• Choose "OK".

The form template should be displayed in the list of customer templates.

Please follow the steps given below for Creating the content

For content creation, please refer to example 1 above.

Changes in the IMG activity "Define Rules for Determination of Master Form Template"

For rule creation, please refer to example 1 above.

Instead of the master form template "SOMU_FORM_MASTER_A4", use your custom master form template "YY1_MY_MASTER_FORM_TEMPLATE".