New Device Type Selection Method in Transaction SPAD

Document Version 1.40 17 January, 2008

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Introduction
When you create an output device in transaction SPAD, you have to specify an appropriate device type. It is not a problem if there is an exact match. However, it is not certain if you cannot find an exact match. A new method, which allows you to select a device type by specifying a printer model, has been added in transaction SPAD. It is no longer necessary to worry about the choice of a device type because an appropriate device type will be recommended after selecting four criteria: The printer manufacturer's name. The language to be printed. Unicode printing or not. The type (or the model) of the printer you use. It is now available on 6.20, 6.40 and 7.xx systems with certain support packages. For details, please refer to SAP Note 1036961, Device type selection in transaction SPAD. However, some new features are available only with Enhancement Packages. There is a remark in this document if a feature has been implemented only in an Enhancement Package.

Remark
In the following pages, the screenshots have been taken on a 7.10 system. They may look different on a 6.20 or 6.40 system, though basic operations stay the same.

1. Operation guide
First, run transaction SPAD, click on Display button next to Output Device input field, change to the edit mode, and click on Create Icon. Then, the following screen appears. Specify an output device name first, and click on Select Device Type icon. (If you use a tachnical screen, it looks slightly different but the postion of Select Device Type button is the same.)

If it is the first time the wizard is called, the following message will appear. Then, follow the instructions in Chapter 3 to update database tables.

If the database tables have been updated already, the device type selection screen appears.

The button names are as follows: Show Printers button OK button Cancel button "Install device types" button (Chapter 4, only in Enhancement Package 1 of Netweaver 7.0 and 7.1) Update printer information button (Chapter 3) Information button (Chapter 2)

First, select a manufacturer. The term "Generic" is used for manufacturer independent printing such as Windows frontend printing using a SAPWIN family device type.

Next, click on "Show Printers" button.

Then, available printers (recorded in table TSPOPIP) are listed up.

Double-click on one of the lines. Then detail information appears.

The three radio buttons next to Device Type, Alternative Device Type and Customised Device Type are active when the corresponding device type is available on the system. If, unfortunately, no device type is available on your system, all the radio buttons and OK button at the bottom become inactive. By clicking on the 'OK' button, the selected device type will be notified to SPAD.

2. Tips and hints

2.1. Narrow the search criteria
The two criteria fields at the top of the screen are selection options. The more you specify, the fewer printers you get. It will help you if a manufacturer has many printers.

At least it is necessary to specify a manufacturers name to click 'Show Printers' button. It is for preventing an internal table from expanding beyond the memory limitation.

2.2. "Unicode" in the Language pull-down menu

"Unicode" appears in the Language pull-down menu in the "Select Criteria" group only when the system is a Unicode system or it is used as the Central System of PAL. (As for PAL, please refer to SAP Note 964501, 'Printing Assistant for Landscape (PAL)'.)

When you select "Unicode" on a Unicode system, it will list up printers that use Unicode and are language independent. A typical example is a "UTF-8 enabled PCL5 printer with Andale Unicode fonts" printer of HP or Lexmark.

If a device type is a Unicode device type but it only supports a specific language, it will not be listed. For example, ARSWIN device type appears when you select "Generic" for a manufacturer's name and "Arabic" for a language. ARSWIN is a unicode device type but it is for Arabic only.

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2.3. No printer is listed

On the other hand, it is possible that the specified combination has no specific entry, general purpose device types will be displayed. In the example below, "Windows PC Printer" belongs to "Generic" printer group, not an HP printer. However, JPSAPWIN device type can be used.

Moreover, it ls also possible that the specified combination has no general purpose device type. For instance, there is only one ARABIC printer in Generic, which is a Unicode printer. Therefore the combination of 'Generic' as a manufacturer's name and 'ARABIC' for a language shows up nothing if the system is not a Unicode system. As mentioned before, the purpose of table TSPOPIP is to make it easier for customers to select a device type when they create a new output device. It suggests that customers can (or have to) select a device type manually if a special one is required.

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2.4. Additional information worth reminding

The following example shows that some printers have an important remark that must be taken into account.

The reference SAP Note will be displayed in a browser if you double-click on the note number. It works only in Reference SAP Note field. The note number in Remark field will not be shown. In the example above, a phrase "(no Additional Print Options)" appears with device type names at the bottom. If the Additional Print Options are not enabled to the device type, the phrase appears. (As for the Additional Print Options, please refer to SAP Note 1049778, 'Additional print options for SAPscript/Smart Forms'.) The following example shows two device types without/with the Additional Print Options.

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2.5. Non-existing device types

If a device type does not exist on your system, a message appears at the bottom.

When it happens, the device type is normally attached to a reference SAP Note. Please refer to Chapter 4.

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2.6. Context menu

There is a context menu on the printer list as well. A right-click gives you more functions than visible functions.

The available context menus vary with a cursor position. For instance, you can get the detail information on the device type when the cursor is at a device type name.

Or, you can read a note when the cursor is on a note number.

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2.7. General information

Information button at the bottom opens a browser and display SAP Note 1036961, which contains general information on the new method.

2.7. Double-clickable area

The following areas are double-clickable.

Double-clicking on the list area means you select a printer. Detail information will be displayed in a pop-up screen by double-clicking on a device type name. A browser will be opened and an SAP Note will be displayed in it by double-clicking on the reference SAP Note number.

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3. Updating Information Tables on Your System

The relationship between printer models and device types are stored in table TSPOPIP, and the list of printer manufacturers is stored in table TSPOPIMAN. The version of the current data on your system is displayed at the top right corner of the window.

The latest data is provided as an attachment to SAP Note 1036961, Device type selection in transaction SPAD. The file name is tspopi-yyyymmdd.xml where yyyymmdd is the date of the file creation. (The xml file is zipped so the actual attached file names are tspopiyyyymmdd.zip.) To update your table, download the attachments to your local PC, unzip them, then click on "Update Table Information" button at the bottom. A simple dialog box appears.

By specifying tspopi-yyyymmdd.xml (with an appropriate path name) and clicking on "OK" button, you will be able to upload the XML files and the tables will be updated automatically.

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"File Open Dialog" icon at the right-end of the input field allows you to select the file in the normal Windows way.

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4. Installing Device Types

This feature is available in Enhancement Package 1 of Netweaver 7.0 and 7.1 or later.
Sometimes a device type might not be installed on your system. You can install it in a traditional way as described in SAP Note 6427, 'Information about device type upload/download'. However, a new device type installation aid is implemented in the wizard. First, click on "Install Device Types" button at the bottom-left corner.

Then the instructions appears.

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5. Reference SAP Notes

1036961 964501 1049778 6427 Device type selection in transaction SPAD Printing Assistant for Landscape (PAL) Additional print options for SAPscript/Smart Forms Information about device type upload/download

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