Smart Forms Part 6: Tables, Templates, Loops and Conditions

📌 KEY POINTS
✅ Table node: dynamic number of rows (items) with header, main area and footer; header can repeat on each page.
✅ Template: fixed grid with a fixed number of rows/columns (e.g. address block, summary box).
✅ Table nodes support sorting with events (subtotals on sort change) and the "Calculations" tab for totals.
⚠️ Line types must add up exactly to the table width, otherwise you get errors or shifted columns.

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▶ WHERE WE ARE
Part 5 defined windows. Inside the main window, the table node prints the items.

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▶ 1. TABLE NODE

• Data tab: loop over IT_ITEMS INTO GS_ITEM (optional WHERE condition).
• Table tab: line types (e.g. LINE_HEADER, LINE_ITEM, LINE_TOTAL) with column widths; borders.
• Header: printed at the start and optionally on every new page ("at page break").
• Main area: one row per item; cells contain text nodes with &GS_ITEM-…&.
• Footer: at the end (totals) or at each page end.

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▶ 2. SORTING AND EVENTS

• Data tab → sort criteria (e.g. MATKL) with "event on sort begin/end".
• Event nodes print group headers or subtotals.

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▶ 3. CALCULATIONS TAB

• Operation total/count/max over a field: e.g. total GS_ITEM-NETWR into GV_TOTAL, time "after loop".
• Avoid manual summing in program lines when the tab suffices.

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▶ 4. TEMPLATE

• Fixed layout of cells; each cell addressed by row/column; no looping.
• Use for boxes like invoice summary or address-and-reference blocks.

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▶ 5. LOOP NODE
Loop without table layout — for repeated text blocks (e.g. conditions, notes).

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▶ 6. CONDITIONS

• Conditions tab on any node: field comparisons, events (only on first page, only after main window end).
• Alternative node: TRUE/FALSE branches.

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▶ STEP BY STEP

1. Create a table node over IT_ITEMS with header, item line and footer.
2. Add sorting by material group with subtotal event.
3. Add a total via the Calculations tab and print it in the footer.

✅ CHECKPOINT: you can print dynamic item lists with headers, subtotals and totals.

An invoice form printed column headers only on the first page; on 10-page invoices, auditors could not read pages 2–10 without flipping back. The header row wasn't set to repeat at page breaks.
Enabling "at page break" for the header and moving totals to the footer "at end" fixed the layout. Subtotals per material group via the sort event replaced 40 lines of program-lines code.

• Templates used for dynamic item lists.
• Line type widths not matching the table width.
• Header not repeating on new pages.
• Manual totals in program lines where Calculations suffice.
• Subtotal variables not reset per group.

• Table node for dynamic data, template for fixed grids.
• Repeat headers at page breaks.
• Use sort events for group headers/subtotals.
• Use the Calculations tab for totals.
• Keep cells simple; format in driver/initialization.

Questions: "Table vs template in Smart Forms?", "How do you print subtotals?", "How do you repeat table headers on each page?"
Strong answer: table node for dynamic rows with header/main/footer and line types summing to the width; template for fixed grids; sort criteria with events for subtotals; Calculations tab for totals; header "at page break" to repeat; conditions and alternative nodes.