Design ER configurations to fill in PDF templates

The procedures in this article provide examples that show how a user in either the System administrator role or the Electronic reporting developer role can configure an Electronic reporting (ER) format that generates reports as PDF files by using fillable PDF documents as report templates. You can perform these steps in any company of Dynamics 365 Finance or Regulatory Configuration Services (RCS).

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you must have one of the following types of access, depending on the service that you use to complete the procedures in this article:

• Access to Finance for one of the following roles:

  • Electronic reporting developer
  • Electronic reporting functional consultant
  • System administrator

• Access to RCS for one of the following roles:

  • Electronic reporting developer
  • Electronic reporting functional consultant
  • System administrator

You must also complete the Create configuration providers and mark them as active procedure.

Finally, download the following files.

Design the format configuration

Get access to the list of configurations provided by Microsoft

1. Go to Organization administration > Workspaces > Electronic reporting.

2. Make sure that the Litware, Inc. provider is available and marked as active.

3. On the tile for the Microsoft provider, select Repositories.

   Note

   If a repository of the LCS type already exists, skip the remaining steps of this procedure.

4. Select Add.

5. In the drop-down dialog box, in the Configuration repository type field group, select the LCS option.

6. Select Create repository.

7. Select OK.

Get the model configurations provided by Microsoft

1. On the left side of the Configuration repositories page, select the Show filters button (the funnel symbol).

2. Add a filter for a value of LCS in the Type field, and use the begins with operator.

3. Select Apply.

4. Select Open.

5. In the tree, select Intrastat model.

6. On the Versions FastTab, select version 1.

   Note

   If the Import button on the Versions FastTab is unavailable, skip the remaining steps of this procedure.

7. Select Import.

8. Select Yes to confirm the import of the selected version of the Intrastat model model configuration.

Create a new format configuration

1. In the Electronic reporting workspace, select the Reporting configurations tile.

2. In the tree, select Intrastat model.

3. Select Create configuration.

   Note

   If the Create configuration button isn't available, you must turn on design mode on the Electronic reporting parameters page that can be opened from the Electronic reporting workspace.

4. In the drop-down dialog box, in the New field group, select the Format based on data model Intrastat option.

5. In the Name field, enter Intrastat report (PDF).

6. In the Description field, enter Intrastat report in PDF format.

   Note

   The active configuration provider is automatically entered. This provider will be able to maintain this configuration. Although other providers can use this configuration, they won't be able to maintain it.

7. Optional: In the Format type field, you can select a specific format of electronic document. If you select PDF, at design time, the ER Operations designer will offer just the format elements that are applicable only to documents that are generated in PDF format (PDF\File, PDF\PDF Merger, etc.). If you leave this field blank, a format of electronic document will be specified at design time in the ER Operations designer when a first format element will be added. For example, if you add the Excel\File as the first format element, the ER Operations designer will offer you just the format elements that are applicable only to documents that are generated in Excel format (Excel\Cell, Excel\Range, etc.). format.

8. Select Create configuration.

A new ER format configuration is created. You can use the draft version of this configuration to store the ER format component that is designed to generate electronic documents in PDF format.

Design the format of an electronic document

Next, in the ER format configuration that you created, design the ER format that generates the Intrastat control report in PDF format. The first page of this report must show a summary of the report and details of the foreign trade transactions that are reported on. The other pages must show only details of the foreign trade transactions that are reported on. Because the report pages that are generated must have different layouts, the ER format uses two different templates in PDF format.

In any PDF viewer, open the PDF templates that you downloaded. Each template contains multiple fields that you fill in. In each template, details of foreign trade transactions are presented as 42 rows, each of which has nine fields. The row number appears at the end of each field's name (for example, Date 1…Date 42 and Commodity 1…Commodity 42).

The following illustration shows the PDF template for the first page of the report.

The following illustration shows the PDF template for other pages of the report.

1. On the Configurations page, select Designer.

2. Select Add root.

3. In the tree, select PDF > PDF Merger.

   When you select the PDF Merger element as the root element of the format, all PDF documents that are generated at run time are merged into a single final PDF document. If you need only one PDF template to generate all the required documents by using the ER format that you design, select PDF file as the root element.

4. In the Name field, enter Output.

5. In the Language preferences field, select User preference. The report is generated in the preferred language of the user who runs it.

6. In the Culture preferences field, select User preference. Values and dates that are presented on the pages of the report are formatted based on the preferred locale of the user who runs the report.

7. Select OK.

8. On the Action Pane, on the Import tab, select Import from PDF.

   When you import a fillable PDF document as a template for this ER format, the system automatically creates all the required ER format elements (PDF file, Field group, and Field elements) in the format that you design, based on the structure of the PDF document that you import.

9. Select Browse. Go to and select the IntrastatReportTemplate1.pdf file that you downloaded earlier as a prerequisite.

10. Select OK.

    The selected file is loaded, and the Template field in the Import from PDF dialog box is filled in.

11. Set the Group fields option to Yes. If the selected PDF document contains any field groups, the system uses them to group the ER format elements that it creates. The system creates a Field group format element for this purpose.

    If you set this option to No, the system creates the required ER format elements as a flat list of elements that are nested under the PDF File format element that it creates.

12. Select OK.

    

13. In the tree, expand Output.

    The PDF File component is automatically created to manage the creation of the first page of the report that is generated at run time.

14. In the tree, expand Output > PDF File.

    The structured list of format elements is automatically created in this ER format, based on the structure of the fillable PDF document that you imported earlier.

15. In the tree, select Output > PDF File.

16. In the Name field, enter Page 1.

    This format element generates the first page of the Intrastat control report. That page shows a summary of the report and details of foreign trade transactions.

    If you leave the Language preferences field blank, the Language preferences setting of the parent PDF Merger element determines the language of the report that is generated by using this format element. You can select another value to override the setting of the parent element.

    If you leave the Culture preferences field blank, the Culture preferences setting of the parent PDF Merger element determines the locale of the report that is generated by using this format element. The locale determines the format of values and dates on the pages of the report. You can select another value to override the setting of the parent element.

17. On the Action Pane, select the Import tab. Notice that the Update from PDF button is available for selected format element, PDF File.

    Use this button to import the updated PDF template to the edited format. When you import the updated PDF template, the list of format elements changes accordingly:

    • For any new fields in the updated PDF template, the system creates new format elements in the edited ER format.
    • If the updated PDF template no longer includes fields that correspond to any existing format elements in the edited ER format, the system deletes those format elements from the ER format.

18. On the Format tab, select Attachments.

    The imported PDF document is attached to the edited ER format.

    

19. Continue to design this format by importing the second PDF template, adding necessary bindings to data sources, and so on.

20. Select Save.

21. Close the page.

22. Select Delete.

23. Select Yes.

To learn how new PDF Merger, PDF File, Field group, and Field format elements can be used to generate documents in PDF format, import and analyze the sample ER format.

Import the format configuration

Next, import the sample ER format that you previously downloaded to generate the Intrastat control report in PDF format. The first page of the report shows a summary of the report and details of the foreign trade transactions that are reported on. The other pages show only details of the foreign trade transactions that are reported on.

1. On Configurations, select Exchange > Load from XML file.
2. Select Browse. Go to and select the Intrastat report (PDF).version.1.1.xml file that you downloaded earlier as a prerequisite.
3. Select OK.

Analyze the format configuration

Format layout

1. On Configurations, in the tree, select Intrastat model > Intrastat report (PDF).

2. Select Designer.

3. Select Show details.

4. In the tree, expand Output: PDF Merger.

   This ER format contains two PDF File elements, each of which uses a different PDF template. One template generates the first page of the report in PDF format, and the other template generates the other pages.

5. In the tree, expand Output: PDF Merger > Page 1: PDF File (IntrastatReportTemplate1).

6. In the tree, expand Output: PDF Merger > Page N: PDF File (IntrastatReportTemplate2).

   Because the content of the two PDF templates differs, the structure of the nested format elements for the two PDF File elements also differs.

Format mapping

1. On Format designer, select the Mapping tab.

2. In the tree, expand Paging > Pages.

   

   Note the following details:

   • The Output > Page 1 format element of the PDF File type isn't bound to any data source, and the Enabled expression of this format element is empty. Therefore, at run time, the IntrastatReportTemplate1 PDF template is filled in only one time when an individual PDF document is generated.

   • The Output > Page N format element of the PDF File type is bound to the Paging.PageN data source of the Record list type, and the Enabled expression of this format element is empty. Therefore, at run time, the IntrastatReportTemplate2 PDF template is filled in for each record from the bound record list when an individual PDF document is generated.

   • Because the Page 1: PDF File and Page N: PDF File format elements are children of the Output: PDF Merger format element, all PDF documents that are filled in are merged into a single final PDF document.

   • The Paging.Page1 and Paging.PageN data sources are configured as filters of records from the Paging.Pages data source. This data source is configured to split the whole set of foreign trade transactions into batches. Each batch contains up to 42 records. The following ER expression is used to split the transactions into batches:

     SPLITLIST(Totals.CommodityRecord,42)

   • The Paging.Pages data source contains the Paging.Pages.Enumerated element that returns the details of each record that is included in a batch. These details include the record's sequence in the current batch (the Paging.Pages.Enumerated.Number field). The Paging.Pages.Enumerated.Number field is used in the Name expression of PDF Field format elements to dynamically generate a field name that is based on the transaction number in a batch. The field name that is generated is then used to fill in the correct PDF field in the PDF template that is used.

   • The Output > Page N > Details 2 format element of the PDF Group type is bound to the Paging.PageN.Enumerated data source (or @.Enumerated if the Relative path view mode is used) of the Record list type. Therefore, at run time, the nested elements of this PDF group are filled in for each record from the bound record list. In this way, individual PDF lines are virtually generated when for each Nth of 42 records of the Paging.PageN.Enumerated list the following PDF fields are filled in: Date N, Direction N, Commodity N, and so on. Therefore, in this respect, the behavior of this Field group format element resembles the behavior of the XML > Sequence and Text > Sequence format elements.

3. In the tree, expand Output > Page N > Details2.

4. In the tree, select Output > Page N > Details2 > PageFooter.

   Notice that the Name attribute of this format element is defined as PageFooter. Also notice that the Name expression of the format element is empty.

5. In the tree, select Output > Page N > Details2 > Correction 1.

   Notice that the Name attribute of this format element is defined as Correction 1. Also notice that the Name expression is defined as Paging.FldName("Correction",@.Number).

Note that the Field format element is used to fill in an individual field of a fillable PDF document that is defined as a template of the parent PDF File format element. The binding of the PDF File format element or its nested elements, if it has any nested elements, specifies the value that is entered in corresponding PDF fields. Different properties of the Field format element can be used to specify which PDF field is filled in by an individual format element:

• On the Format tab, the Name attribute of the format element
• On the Mapping tab, the Name expression of the format element

Because both properties are optional for a Field format element, the following rules are applied to specify the target PDF field:

• If the Name attribute is blank, and the Name expression returns an empty string at run time, an exception is thrown at run time to notify the user that a PDF field can't be found in the PDF template that is being used to fill in the PDF document.
• If the Name attribute is defined, and the Name expression is blank, the PDF field that has the same name as the Name attribute of the format element is filled in.
• If the Name attribute is defined, and the Name expression is configured, the PDF field that has the same name as the value that is returned by the Name expression of the format element is filled in.

Run the format configuration

Import the format configuration

Next, load the Intrastat (import from Excel) sample ER format. This format is designed to parse a user-selected Microsoft Excel workbook that simulates foreign trade transactions.

1. On Configurations, select Exchange > Load from XML file.

2. Select Browse. Go to and select the Intrastat (import from Excel).version.1.1.xml file that you downloaded earlier as a prerequisite.

3. Select OK.

4. In the tree, select Intrastat model > Intrastat (import from Excel).

5. Select Edit.

6. Set the Default for model mapping option to Yes.

   Note

   If you previously set the Default for model mapping option to Yes for the Intrastat model configuration or another configuration that is nested under the Intrastat model configuration, set this option to No.

   When you set the Default for model mapping option to Yes, the imported Intrastat (import from Excel) ER format becomes the default data source for the Intrastat report (PDF) format configuration. Then, when you run the Intrastat report (PDF) format configuration, the content of the Excel workbook that the Intrastat (import from Excel) ER format parses simulates foreign trade transactions that you must report. The following illustration shows an example of an Excel workbook.

   

Run the format configuration

1. On Configurations, in the tree, select Intrastat model > Intrastat report (PDF).
2. Select Run.
3. Select Browse. Go to the Intrastat sample data.xlsx file that you downloaded earlier as a prerequisite, and select it.
4. Select OK.
5. In the Report direction field, select Both to include all transactions from the imported Excel workbook in the generated PDF report.
6. Select OK.
7. Review the generated PDF document.

The following illustration shows an example of the first page of the generated report.

The following illustration shows an example of another page of the generated report.

Limitations

The names of fillable fields need to be unique in the PDF form that you plan to use as a report template. When you import a PDF form, the editable ER format creates an individual format element with the corresponding name for every such field. If a PDF form contains several fields with the same name, the import process creates a single format element for those fields. This single format element doesn't allow you to fill in the fields individually at runtime.

Frequently asked questions

When I run the ER format to generate a report in PDF format, why do I get the following errors: Cannot handle iref streams. The current implementation of PDFSharp cannot handle this PDF feature introduced with Acrobat 6. and A PDF name must start with a slash (/).

The ER framework uses version 1.5 of the PDFSharp library to generate these PDF reports. Some features of PDF 1.5 (Adobe Reader 6.0) aren't yet implemented in this library. Therefore, PDFSharp can't yet open some files that are marked as for PDF 1.5 or higher and can result in the errors received. Use one of the following solutions to resolve the issue:

• When you use your own PDF template: Downgrade the template to an earlier Adobe version and start using a new template in your ER format.
• When you use an ER format template that another configuration provider shared with you as part of an ER solution: Contact the owner of this ER solution and provide a description of the issue.
• When you use the ISV solution that contains an earlier version of the PDFSharp library: Contact the owner of the solution and suggest an upgrade to the newer PDFSharp version.

Additional resources

• ER Design a configuration for generating reports in OPENXML format (November 2016)
• Design ER configurations to generate reports in Word format