External Data

[Former Member]

Hi all,

What is External Data in ABAP and how it is use?

Thanks in advance......

[Former Member]

HI,

External data could be data coming from Flat files or from other system through RFC etc.

SAP could be interacting with several systems say VB.NET or Delphi system which has inventory management etc. So data needs to be transferred to SAP so tht the data is in sync.

Best regards,

Prashant

Message was edited by:

Prashant Patil

[Former Member]

Hi

The external data means other than SAP data.

The data may be from NON SAP system entering into SAP system.

Like we bring the external data into SAP using FILES,IDOC,BAPI etc

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Regards

Anji

[Former Member]

Hi,

Integrating external data

There are several ways in which GuiXT can help you to integrate external data sources into R/3. Here we describe the techniques together with their pros and cons:

A You display a small image on the R/3 screen. When the user clicks on the image, a program that displays additional data in a separate window is started. The program parameters are taken from the current R/3 screen.

B Use the GuiXT html Viewer and invoke on a server (intranet or internet) a program (e.g., CGI) that reads the external data and returns an html page with this data.

C You use the GuiXT call statement in order to call a dll function. This dll function returns some strings that you display with GuiXT Text commands directly in the R/3 screen. The dll function can also generate an html file or an rtf file that you integrate into the R/3 screen with the GuiXT Viewer.

D You display your own pushbutton on the R/3 screen. When the user presses the button, an InputScript is processed (see InputAssistant). The InputScript can do various things: get data via other R/3 screens, call ABAP functions via RFC, call dll functions. The InputScript sets GuiXT variables that can be displayed with Text statements or with the GuiXT Viewer template-function.

You will need the following GuiXT components (version 2000 Q3 01 or higher for the template-function of the Viewer in B-D):

A GuiXT

B GuiXT+Viewer

C GuiXT (Viewer helpful as well)

D GuiXT+InputAssistant (Viewer helpful as well)

A (via an image)

Example:

Image (20,1) "moreinfo.gif" Start="
P450\prog1\sqlread1.exe &[Material]"

Advantages:

You can use a programming language of your choice for the .exe program

The display of the external data is completely independent of the R/3 screen layout

The new window remains visible even if the user leaves the current R/3 screen

Disadvantages:

The user has to click on the image first

You cannot use values that the user has just entered unless you first press the "Enter" button; (you will always get the last value that R/3 displayed in this field).

B (with GuiXT html Viewer)

Example:

View (16,1) (24,120) template="
P450\html\mat1.html"

All &[...] variables in the html file are replaced with their current values. You can also use URLs in the html file that carry these values to CGI programs, or you can have Java script coding in the html file that works with the R/3 value.

Advantages:

The HTML display is directly integrated into the R/3 screen

You can use html tools in order to design the layout; you can use Java script in the html file for sophisticated features

You can offer the user further actions (within html or going back to R/3), or hyperlinks to the internet

The user can print locally what he sees

Disadvantages:

You have to know the necessary html techniques for reading external data from html

C (with dll-call)

Example:

Call "extinfo" dll="gxexit" In="&[Material]" Out="Info1" Out="Info2" Out="Info3"

Text (16,1) "External Info1"

Text (16,30) "&[Info1]"

Text (17,1) "External Info2"

Text (17,30) "&[Info2]"

Text (18,1) "External Info3"

Text (18,30) "&[Info3]"

or

Call "extinfo" dll="gxexit" In="&[Material]" Out="Filename"

View (16,1) (24,120) "&[Filename]"

Advantages:

The display is directly integrated into the R/3 screen

You can use html or rtf functionality for the display

You can offer the user further actions (within html or going back to R/3), or hyperlinks to the internet

The user can print locally what he sees

Disadvantages:

You have to know how to implement the dll (normally done in C++; VB is possible as well)

D (with InputScript)

Example:

Pushbutton (16,1) "External data" Process="MatExtData.txt"

using Material = [Material]

if V[MatExtData=X]

View (16,20) (24,120) template="MatExtData.html"

endif

In this case the InputScript would set some variables that are used in the template-file. The InputScript could use various techniques (like dll-calls) in order to set the variables

Advantages:

The display is directly integrated into the R/3 screen

You can use html or rtf functionality for the display

You can offer the user further actions (within html or going back to R/3), or hyperlinks to the internet

The user can print locally what he sees

You can mix additional R/3 information and external data sources

You get the values that the user has just entered

Disadvantages:

You have to know how to implement the dll or the ABAP function if you want to use them in the InputScript

The pushbutton always invokes a function (Default: Enter-button) in R/3.

Regards

Sudheer