Can I create tables in SAPscript like I create in Smart Forms?

Can I create tables in SAPscript like I create in Smart Forms?

How can I create a table display with horizontal and vertical lines for number of columns and rows in SAPscript?

In Smart Forms, we can just click on "Table" and get a table display, but how do we create this in SAPscript?

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Alas, there is no "pattern" option in SAPscript. All you have at your disposal are the following SAPscript commands: BOX, POSITION and SIZE. Not only are these commands both confusing and tedious to implement, they also are limited in what they can achieve. For instance, although you can suppress a box during printout (by making it conditional), there is no simple way to adjust it dynamically instead. Thus, to divide sequential line items, you may wish to use an underline (ULINE) or simply white space.

Think of directing an 'Etch-A-Sketch' session over someone's shoulder and you've got the basic concept down.

BOX is the primary driver command. The other two assist in breaking down the task of defining a box – or line (often defined as a box with either zero height or width) – into multiple steps. Normally, each SAPscript command must fit on a single line; by handling some of its definition, POSITION and SIZE get around this restriction for a box with complex properties.

Click here to link to a section in the SAP Help Portal which discusses these commands and provides examples. The best advice I can offer on getting comfortable with them is to review an existing form which uses them, even if it serves a different purpose. For instance, there are several standard FI template forms, such as the credit memo (F140_DOCU_EXC_01) which use all three of these commands together.

This was first published in July 2005