topic Re: Reg- IDOCs in Application Development and Automation Discussions

IDoc or Intermediate Document is a standard SAP document format. IDocs allow different application systems to be linked via a message-based interface.

There are three main aims behind the use of IDocs:

The structured exchange of business documents so that they can be processed automatically.

The various degrees of structural complexity as displayed by different application systems can be reduced to a structure which is as simple as possible.

Example: the structure of an SAP application document and the structure of the corresponding EDI message under the UN/EDIFACT standard.

IDocs allow for extensive exception handling before the data are posted to the application.

IDocs are defined and considered on two levels, the technical and the business level. The former allows them to support application-independent functions, e.g. routing and handling technical exceptions.

Technical level

Defined by the three record types compatible with the IDoc interface:

Control record

Data record

Status record

Business level

Defined by the segments of an IDoc. Segments are structures used to interpret field SDATA in the data record. An IDoc type is defined by the relevant:

Segments

Attributes of these segments

(e.g. maximum usage, hierarchical sequence, segment status)

IDoc Types

The messages exchanged between systems are of various message types. The message type depends on the data contained and the process involved. It determines the technical structure of the message, the IDoc type. For example, the FIDCMT message type is used for journal messages.

The IDoc type indicates the SAP format that is to be used to interpret the data of a business transaction.

An IDoc type consists of the following components:

· a control record

This is identical for each IDoc type.

· several data records

One data record consists of a fixed key part and a variable data part. The data part is interpreted using segments, which differ depending on the IDoc type selected.

· several status records

These are identical for each IDoc type and describe the statuses an IDoc has already passed through or the status an IDoc has attained.

Regards,

Maha

Re: Reg- IDOCs

varma_narayana — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:49:24 GMT

hi.

The Role of IDOC type and Message Type:

IDOC is the Document that Transfers the Data Between the Systems in ALE or EDI.

But Every IDOC is generated based on an IDOC TYPE and a MESSAGE TYPE..

Let me explain them with Example.

IDOC TYPE : It provides the structure in Which The data of IDOC has to be stored.

For Eg: To Create an IDOC of EMPLOY master:

The Structure of IDOC TYPE can be:

1 Record for EMPLOY General Data: Under this

Multiple Records for Employ Experience Details

Multiple Records for Employ Qualification Details

Multiple Records for Employ Skill Details

Here all these Different Records are Represented by SEGMENTS.

And Every IDOC TYPE is Hierarchy of Segments

(You can find in tcode : WE30)

MESSAGE TYPE:

It will determine the Processing Logic using which the IDOC has to be generated in Outbound and how the IDOC has to be Posted in Inbound.

One IDOC type can be Linked to Multiple Message types.

For Eg:

<b>reward if Helpful.</b>