Overview on Scripting languages for Adobe Form Beginners
The main advantage of using scripting in Adobe forms is that we can improve functionality and usability
of forms.
With scripting we can get full control over forms at run time.
Benefits of Scripting:
Display/Hide form objects based on Conditions while generating the PDF Form
(Examples: Hide /Display Table or Page in generated PDF Form, Adding Back ground colours based
on conditions )
Automatic calculation in Forms.
(Examples: Sum,Avg,Percentage, etc.. )
Data validations.
(Check existence of Data using flag conditions..).
All the Actions written in Script editor will be executed at the run time.
Where should we have to write our Script in Adobe Forms:
We can create our forms using Transaction Code SFP (Form Builder).
Go to Transaction Code SFP.
Enter the Form Name
Click on Layout.
Menu Bar –> Pallets –> Script Editor
Select the Script Editor.
Select an Object in the Layout.
The Script editor will be displayed as shown below.
Objects:
Objects are used to display the data in PDF Forms . Based on the data type we have to select Object from
object library and add it to layout.
Examples: Amounts —-> Numeric Field / Decimal Field.
Date/Time —-> Date/Time Field.
Image —-> Image Field
We can divide the objects into two categories.
Objects supported by Scripting Languages.
Objects not Supported by Scripting languages.
SAP Adobe forms Supports two scripting Languages.
FormCalc.
JavaScript.
A Form can use both languages in the form at the same time but we can’t use both scripting languages for single
Object.
FormCalc:
FormCalc is the default scripting language in Designer. It is an easy-to-use calculation language.
FormCalc is the best choice to work on functions like (date and time, financial, arithmetic , logical
etc.)
Advantages:
Built-in-Functions
FormCalc has many built in Functions that covers a range of Areas including Finance, logic,
dates/times and mathematics.
Performance
FormCalc usually provides better performance than JavaScript because it executes calculations and
validations more quickly.
FormCalc can be the best choice in many situations, regardless of programming experience.
Easier to maintain
This scripting language is very useful for Non Programmers who need to add calculations for their
forms.
It is very similar to the Language that we use in Microsoft Office like Excel, Most FormCalc scripts
are one line long.
Disadvantages:
FormCalc is not as powerful or as ubiquitous as Java Script.
It will not work for HTML Forms ..
Not very useful for creating sophisticated interactive and dynamic forms.
Examples:
Go to SFP. Enter the Name of the Form and click on Create.
A pop will be displayed as shown below.Assign Interface for your form.
Interface is the place where we add code to fetch data from Data base tables.We can display the database
tables data by binding the Variables used in Interface with the Objects in the Form(layout).
Context is the place where the connection is established between Interface and Form.
Click on Save.To design the layout(Form) click on Layout.
Example 1:
FomCalc: Sum of Multiple Numbers (Sum)
Drag and Drop a Numeric Field from Object Library into the layout as shown below.. Select the Field. Go
to Script Editor.
In Script editor select the event (form ready). We can see the Header line which represents the path of the
form.
Headerline
data.#subform[0].NumericField1::ready:form – (FormCalc, client)
#subform[0] ——> Name of the Subform
NumericField1 ——> Name of the Field on the Layout
ready:form ——> Event under which the script added will be executed.
FormCalc, client ——> ( Scripting language,Run at )
After adding FormCalc Script,Click on Save,Activate,Execute.
Output:
Example 2:
FormCalc: Annual Percentage of Loan(Apr)
Output:
Example 3:
FormCalc : To display the Number in Word Format ( WordNum )
Output:
Java Script:
Although FormCalc is default scripting language in designer, Java script is more ideal for creating
sophisticated interactive and dynamic forms.
Advantages of Java script:
JavaScript is ubiquitous.
JavaScript is a scripting standard that many programmers and designers already know.
Object -oriented.
We can create JavaScript objects and custom functions, and use them through out Form.
This function is not available in FormCalc.It has been scripting standard we can find sample scripts for
almost we need to do.
Works for HTML and PDF Forms:
We can use JavaScript for both PDF Forms and HTML Forms.
Disadvantages:
Performance
Performance is lower than Formcalc.
Examples:
JavaScript: Hide/Display entire column in a table if the total sum of the column is ‘0’.
In debugging we can see the Entire column with zero values
If the entire column doesn’t have zero values set a flag as shown below. The last column SI_AMT1
doesn’t have values.
This flag value will be passed to variable lv_si1 which is in our Java script.
Now the added java script under the event ( Form ready) will be executed and the entire column with zero’
will be removed from the table in PDF Form display.
Output: We can see no entire column with zero’s in table in Output PDF Form.
Example 2 :
JavaScript: Adding Back ground colors for the Table Fields and field content should be displayed in
Bold
In my table I have a Field POSID it the value of the field is Outcome then it should display all the
data in bold and back ground colors with following properties.
191,191,191
Else if POSID field value is Output then it should display background color with following
properties .
217,217,217.
data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA.POSID::initialize
– (JavaScript, client)
var numrows =xfa.resolveNodes(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_
SAMECUR.DATA[*]”).length;
var rowFillColor;
for (var i=0; i<numrows; i++)
{
posid =xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR
.DATA[“+i+“].POSID”).rawValue;
if (posid == “Outcome”)
{
rowFillColor = “191,191,191”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).border.fill.color.value = rowFillColor;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).POSID.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).POST1.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).T_AMT1.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).F_AMT1.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).S_AMT1.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).TH_AMT1.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).FO_AMT1.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).FI_AMT1.font.weight = “bold”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).SI_AMT1.font.weight = “bold”;
}
else if (posid == “Output”)
{
rowFillColor = “217,217,217”;
xfa.resolveNode(“data.Overal_Budget_Same_Currency.GT_TOT_BUD_SAMECUR.DATA[“
+i+“]”).border.fill.color.value = rowFillColor;
}
delete outcome;
}
Output:
All the Rows which has Outcome in first cell are displayed in Bold with the assigned Back
Ground Color.
All the Rows which has Output in first cell are displayed with assigned Back ground Color.
We have to decide the script language to be used in Adobe Forms, based on the Scenario/Functionality we
need to achieve.
