AW: RSWUWFML - with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox

Tue Dec 23 09:26:48 EST 2003

Merry Christmas workflow experts,

I've added a new WebLog in www.sdn.sap.com to summarize what is =
available now in terms of sending e-mail notifications with attachments =
so that the work item can be executed directly from the =
Groupwise/Notes/Outlook inbox.=20

Anyone can acces this Web site, but you do have to register first. I =
put the post in sdn  to make the information freely available.

The service note describes more detail. Online-documentation is =
available on the service market place (alias workflow - media library - =
system documentation).

During the pilot phase some nominal SAP consulting is necessary to make =
sure that expectations are met and that any unexpected issues are =
ironed out before the enhanced E-Mail Notifications for Business =
Workflow is used on a large scale.=20

Merry Christmas,

Alan Rickayzen

-----Urspr=FCngliche Nachricht-----
Von: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] Im Auftrag von =
viveka.schwartz at implema.se
Gesendet: Dienstag, 9. Dezember 2003 16:24
An: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Betreff: Re: RSWUWFML - with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox

Hello Nicholas,

thank you very much for letting us take part of this FM name.
Yes, I intend to use it for an e-mail simulated solution.

Thanks again,
best regards
Viveka

Nicholas Brand <nicholas.n.brand at uk.ibm.com>
Sent by: SAP Workflow <Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
2003-12-09 10:33
Please respond to SAP Workflow Users' Group

        To:     SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
        cc:
        Subject:        Re: RSWUWFML - with attachment to launch user's =
SAP inbox

Viveka,

It wasn't an OSS note but part of a series of communications between =
us.

The function module that solved our problem was...

SO_RAW_TO_RTF

We pass in a text table and it returns a text table in compressed =
format.
In our case, with all the spaces removed.

I'm interested, are you doing a email similar solution or is this =
needed
for another issue.

Kind regards,
Nicholas Brand

UK lead SAP Workflow & Process Automation

IBM Business Consulting Services
+44 (0) 207 021 9159 (office)
+44 (0) 7730 733885 (mobile)

                      viveka.schwartz at imp
                      lema.se                    To:
SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
                      Sent by: SAP               cc:
                      Workflow                   Subject:  Re: RSWUWFML =
-
with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox
                      <Owner-SAP-WUG at MITV
                      MA.MIT.EDU>

                      05-12-03 16:37
                      Please respond to
                      "SAP Workflow
                      Users' Group"

Hello Nicholas,

could you please tell the OSS note number you received from Walldorf =
for
solution 2 - or if no note exists, would it be possible to receive the
source code  for the function module you mention in solution 2 ?

Best regards
Viveka

Nicholas Brand <nicholas.n.brand at uk.ibm.com>
Sent by: SAP Workflow <Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
2003-12-05 17:06
Please respond to SAP Workflow Users' Group

        To:     SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
        cc:
        Subject:        Re: RSWUWFML - with attachment to launch user's
SAP
inbox

Daniel et al,

Thank you very much for the reply. Your problem and solution sounded
similar to ours.
We've actually now created 2 options.

The first approach:
For each user that has new workitems the program creates a .SAP file =
with
parameters (but NOT the password) and puts this file on a shared =
directory
(it overwrites if one is already there for that user).
The program then creates a URL (with no CMD.EXE reference - just to
reassure people!) that points to the .SAP file and sends it in an email =
to
the user.
When the user opens the email and clicks on the URL, it starts the .SAP
file, this shows the user a pop-up box with his userid already filled =
(but
NOT the password) . All the user has to do is enter his password and =
the
SAP session goes straight to the inbox (caused by one of the parameters =
in
the .SAP file).

The second approach:
We managed to fix the problem we were having when OSS came back to us =
with
a handy function module.
When we tried to create a .SAP file, it was incorrectly formatted (we
opened it with Notepad to check). The function module compressed the =
text
and formatted it correctly. The result is that the .SAP file can be
executed, this shows the user a pop-up box with his userid already =
filled
(but NOT the password) . All the user as to do is enter his password =
and
the SAP session goes straight to the inbox (caused by one of the
parameters
in the .SAP file).

Both of these approaches work well; however, I decided to go for the
second
approach as it meant no directory had to be created/maintained for the
.SAP
files that would be created - one for each user.

The new version of the RSWUWFML program will be extremely useful as all =
of
our second approach (and more) can be done as standard.

Kind regards,
Nicholas Brand

UK lead SAP Workflow & Process Automation

IBM Business Consulting Services
+44 (0) 207 021 9159 (office)
+44 (0) 7730 733885 (mobile)

                      "Heath, Darrell L."
                      <Darrell.Heath at Lyon        To:
SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
                      dell.com>                  cc:
                      Sent by: SAP               Subject:  Re: RSWUWFML =
-
with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox
                      Workflow
                      <Owner-SAP-WUG at MITV
                      MA.MIT.EDU>

                      04-12-03 21:05
                      Please respond to
                      "SAP Workflow
                      Users' Group"

I was glad to see this note stream come through as we are already in =
the
process of extending the functionality of RSWUWFML such that we can
utilize
some enhanced R3M attachments and eliminate MAPI.  I know, wait for the
new
solution... We have been informed that 4.5b will not be compatible nor
easily adapted...

(We had the same attachment problem and resolved it the same manner =
Daniel
recommends.)

However, OSS Note 627397 (Alternative 1) states that "R3F or R3M
attachments are not supported" with the next generation of "Email
Notification for Workitems".

I take that comment to mean that I should not count on this =
functionality
in the future.  Am I misreading the intent of the comment?  Or, should =
we
lean away from using R3M attachments?  Is this comment specific to the =
new
solution only (i.e. it doesn't need R3M any longer) but other solutions
depending upon R3M can continue to function properly in the future?

Since we are not upgrading from 4.5b for another year or so, we have to
replace MAPI immediately yet I do not want to venture off onto the =
wrong
track.

Secondly, if using R3M attachments is an appropriate method to link to
workitems, can someone point me to some documentation on the options I
have
within the R3M file.  i.e. SSO support?

Thanks for your insight.
Darrell Heath

-----Original Message-----
From: Lago, Daniel [mailto:daniel.lago at sap.com]
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 7:31 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: RSWUWFML - with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox

Hi Nicholas,

Last year I had the same problem and finally I could solution it using =
an
.SAP attachment. To get this attachment run, I had to change the =
RSWUWFML
program adding the code necessary to include a binary attachment with =
the
script included in a SAP shortcut ( you know:
[System]
Name=3DDF0
Client=3D080
Command=3DSO01
...)
The extension of that attachment was SAP and I had to include this
attachment as a permited format for output in the Sapconnect
configuration.
The only trick I had to do was including the characters for CR and NL =
at
the end of each line of the attachment to avoid the attachment lines be
fixed in a unique line. To get this I concatenated at the end of each =
line
two variables defined as hexadecimal (type x) with the values
corresponding
to hexadecimal representation of CR and NL.

After this I could send an attachment with a shortcut to the SAP inbox =
of
each user.

Some months later, we configured SSO access to the system using =
Kerberos
and modified the attachment to get single sign on access from it.

If you need more help I can try to recover that code to be more =
explicit.

Regards,

Daniel Lago

-----Original Message-----
From: Nicholas Brand [mailto:nicholas.n.brand at uk.ibm.com]
Sent: jueves 27 de noviembre de 2003 23:59
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: RSWUWFML - with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox

I go away for a day and come back to find a load of replies...thank =
you.

Tomasz, Jocelyn and Phil, to answer your questions:

We don't *have* to have a URL in the email to launch the SAPGUI for =
Win32,
N.B. NOT the Web GUI - i.e. this is not a portal/web based solution.
Our ABAPer was having difficulties sending out a .SAP file (SAPGUI for
Win32) attached to the email and was exploring alternatives.

His idea was that, when clicked, the URL would run the SAPSHCUT.EXE =
file
installed *on each SAP user's PC*. The URL would pass the SAPSHCUT.EXE
file
the necessary parameters so the user only has to enter his SAP password =
in
the logon pop-up that appears when the SAPSHCUT.EXE file is executed
(*i.e.the user must enter his password*).

Phil, what is the 'open document command' you mentioned as an =
alternative
to the cmd.exe command?

The other approach is attaching a .SAP file (SAPGUI for Win32) to the
email
with the relevant SAP parameters (but NOT the SAP password).
We can send out a .TXT file with no problems but when we try and send =
out
a
.SAP file it arrives with most of the parameters truncated (we can =
analyse
it in Notepad by saving it as a .TXT file when the email comes =
through).
We're investigating the point at which SAPconnect handles the email to
check whether this is where the truncation is occurring.

We'll also have a look at the R3M attachment route too, though I =
thought
the R3M attachment was only an option if you're using SAPform based
workitems, and we're not.

And finally thanks to those that pointed me to the new version of =
RSWUWFML
v2 - some really useful functions as standard in this.

Phew...isn't it easy to broadcast one's ignorance on http commands and
URLs
to 500 consultants simultaneously! ;-)

Kind regards,
Nicholas Brand

                      "Soady, Phil"
                      <phil.soady at sap.com        To:
SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
                      >                          cc:
                      Sent by: SAP               Subject:  Re: RSWUWFML =
-
with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox
                      Workflow
                      <Owner-SAP-WUG at MITV
                      MA.MIT.EDU>

                      27-11-03 00:33
                      Please respond to
                      "SAP Workflow
                      Users' Group"

The file cmd is not the intended use of SAPGUI shortcutz.

As an attachment with no logon details. Just the object/tcode to be
launched.
The user is the prompted for logon.

SAPGUI Shortcutz already support the piggy back on SSO2 ticket when =
used
in the portal environment. You "just" need to generate the shortcut
properly.

A version of RSWUWFML that can do this is expected soon.
(Cue Alan....)

For more details on SSO and Shortcutz see the Security papers on the
Portals website
at SAP.

I don't recommend people send shortcutz externally.
(Mail firewall should remove them on outgoing mail) .

If people are supposed to logon with a the WN32 gui to SAP from outside
the
extranet,
then perhaps this ok.  But I would look to have this start as an open
document command
not as an explicit file://cmd.exe

WebGUI is more common is such scenarios. But if you must send the =
shortcut
externally,
and use WN32 gui, then if the user has a gui, surely his PC should
recognise the shortcut
as it does .doc or .pdf
Surely the short cut can be opened in the same manner a pdf ?
Perhaps I misunderstood something here but I don't see why it is
necessary to use a URL instead of an attachment.
 Is it necessary to use a URL ?

I feel uncomfortable with URL that commences file://cmd.exe

regards
Phil

Phil Soady
Senior Consultant - Business Technologies
Professional Services
SAP Australia
Level 1, 168 Walker Street, North Sydney 2060, Australia.
M   +61 412 213 079
E   phil.soady at sap.com

-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of
Nicholas Brand
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 4:00 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: RSWUWFML - with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox

Ramki,

Thanks for the reply, however this won't/doesn't work because the URL =
then
has spaces in which the browser doesn't like.

Kind regards,
Nicholas Brand

                      Workflow99 at aol.com
                      Sent by: SAP               To:
SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
                      Workflow                   cc:
                      <Owner-SAP-WUG at MITV        Subject:  Re: RSWUWFML =
-
with attachment to launch user's SAP inbox
                      MA.MIT.EDU>

                      25-11-03 13:53
                      Please respond to
                      "SAP Workflow
                      Users' Group"

Nichloas,

Try making the URL exactly what you pasted into the DOS prompt. (Remove
the
file:///cmd.exe and the quotes)

Regards,
Ramki Maley
Workflow Developer, USCBP.
248-613-1287 (C)

In a message dated 11/25/2003 8:02:22 AM Eastern Standard Time,
nicholas.n.brand at uk.ibm.com writes: Hello,

A quick question on the email notification program.

We're using SAP v4.7.

Here's what we want to happen:

Users get notified by email when they have new workitems - the email =
has
an
attachment or URL that when executed launches SAP, after logging on the
user is taken directly to his Business Workplace.

We've copied RSWUWFML and made some additions to it.
We can send an email with a url to the user's MSOutlook address. The =
URL
looks like this: <file:///cmd.exe "c:\Program
Files\SAP\FrontEnd\sapgui\SAP\FrontEnd\sapgui\sapshcut.exe"
-user=3Dnberkland
-language=3Den -system=3DSRD -client=3D140 -sysname=3DR/3 DEV =
-command=3DSO01>

The <> enclosing the URL means MSOutlook interprets the whole string as =
a
URL.

If we click the URL from MSOutlook we get the message 'Cannot find
file...followed by the parameter list'

This URL does not work; yet if we paste part of it into a DOS prompt it
does work - i.e. "c:\Program
Files\SAP\FrontEnd\sapgui\SAP\FrontEnd\sapgui\sapshcut.exe"
-user=3Dnberkland -language=3Den -system=3DSRD -client=3D140 =
-sysname=3DR/3 DEV
-command=3DSO01

Our ABAP developer assumed the <file:///cmd.exe command was an http
command
to execute a file.

So, the question is how can we launch the same program (the SAPGUI
shortcut) from a URL, including passing the necessary parameters (e.g.
userid) from MSOutlook.

Can anyone provide the missing link? Hmmm

Kind regards,
Nicholas Brand