Configuring an XSL Template

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to configure an XSL Template in SAP Fieldglass.

XSL Template

SAP Fieldglass has standard PDF files for various pages that may need to be printed. Often, though, a customer needs to retrieve that data in a specific PDF format.

XSL Templates are used to generate custom PDF documents and contracts. The template determines the data to be included on the invoices and contracts as well as the formatting of the file.

XSL, which stands for Extensible Stylesheet Language, is a language for expressing style sheets. An XSL style sheet is a file that describes how to display an XML document of a given type. It gives us the opportunity to change formatting and data into custom parameters.

An ASCII text file displaying the XML code for the layout of an invoice appears next to the invoice the XML was used to format.

Navigating the XSL Template Admin Object

XSL Template Admin Item in the Configuration Section of the Admin Menu
1To view a list of XSL templates associated to the tenant, select XSL Template from the Configuration section of the admin menu.

XSL Template List Page

XSL Template List page displaying the Name of configured templates as well the template Type. Below the listed templates is a section called XSL Baseline Templates, which lists the names of the baseline templates as well as their Type. The XSL Baseline Template section, the Type column within it, and the linked XSL Invoice_UK template in the main list are highlighted.

Buyers can upload multiple templates if sites have different formatting requirements. Suppliers can also upload XSL templates that can be used to generate contracts when a buyer-side template does not exist.

2The XSL Baseline Templates section contains the standard formatting and SAP Fieldglass native fields. You can download and customize a baseline template, and then upload your new customized template.
3Type indicates what the generated document is of. The four available options are Work Order, Invoice, Time Sheet, and SOW Print.
4To view the details of an XSL template, select the appropriate link in the XSL Template column.

XSL Template Details Page

XSL Invoice_UK XSL Template Details page highlighting the XSL Template row, the Language, Time Zone, Date Format, Time Format, and Number Format rows, the PDF Generation Behavior row, and the dropdown menu field in the Document ID section. The Document ID section consists of a dropdown menu and a button called PDF Preview.

The details that appear depend upon the type of XSL Template. As illustrated here, an invoice type allows the document to be generated after a certain event. If this were a template for an activity item, you would see whether the document is for a work order or SOW request.

5XSL Template indicates the specific template used can be downloaded for review. If changes to the template were to be made, you would select edit to delete the existing template and replace it with a new one.
6The Language, Time Zone/Date/Time/Number Format selections ensure that these details are represented correctly on the generated document.
7The PDF Generation Behavior option appears when the Invoice type is selected. If Create Time is indicated, the document is generated after the final invoice approval. If Real Time is indicated, the document is generated when the invoice is printed via the print icon.
8If you’ve created and uploaded an XSL template, you can preview it using an actual transaction from your tenant by selecting the dropdown menu, finding the ID of the document you wish to see in the Document ID field dropdown menu, and selecting the PDF Preview button.

Configure an XSL Template

WorkingNet Networking, Inc., a global manufacturer of data networking equipment, has some instances where a PDF of a worker timesheet must be provided, with a hard copy and a wet signature from the manager who approved them. In order for these documents to be compliant for internal auditing, they need to make changes to the standard PDF printout that comes out of SAP Fieldglass.

In order to support this, you, as WorkingNet’s SAP Fieldglass administrator, will make slight amendments to the standard XSL Template for time sheets.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Summary

XSL Templates allow for specific formatting and inclusion of data on PDF documents and contracts.

Key Points:

  • XSL Language: Extensible Stylesheet Language used to describe the display of XML documents.
  • Template Management: Customers can download, customize, and upload templates. Buyers and suppliers can upload multiple templates for different formatting needs.
  • Template Types: Available types include those for standard formatting and native fields. Custom templates can be created based on these.
  • PDF Generation Behavior: Determines when the document is generated, either after final invoice approval or real-time when printed.

Learning

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