What is an IDOC ?

[former_member425121]

Hi

Does somebody can explain me what is an IDOC, or what kind of work we do with this tool, what is the proposal of an IDOC ?

Regards

Frank

[Former Member]

Hi Frank,

IDoc (for intermediate document) is a standard data structure for electronic data interchange (EDI) between application programs written for the popular SAP business system or between an SAP application and an external program. IDocs serve as the vehicle for data transfer in SAP's Application Link Enabling (ALE) system. IDocs are used for asynchronous transactions: each IDoc generated exists as a self-contained text file that can then be transmitted to the requesting workstation without connecting to the central database. Another SAP mechanism, the Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI) is used for synchronous transactions.

A large enterprise's networked computing environment is likely to connect many geographically distributed computers to the main database. These computers are likely to use different hardware and/or operating system platforms. An IDoc encapsulates data so that it can be exchanged between different systems without conversion from one format to another.

IDoc types define different categories of data, such as purchase orders or invoices, which may then be broken down into more specific categories called message types. Greater specificity means that an IDoc type is capable of storing only the data required for a particular transaction, which increases efficiency and decreases resource demands.

An IDoc can be generated at any point in a transaction process. For example, during a shipping transaction process, an IDoc may be generated that includes the data fields required to print a shipping manifest. After a user performs an SAP transaction, one or more IDocs are generated in the sending database and passed to the ALE communication layer. The communication layer performs a Remote Function Call (RFC), using the port definition and RFC destination specified by the customer model. The IDoc is transmitted to the receiver, which may be an R/3, R/2, or some external system.

Hope this will help.

Regards,

Ferry Lianto

[Former Member]

hi Frank,

An IDoc is simply a data container that is used to exchange information between any two processes that can understand the syntax and semantics of the data.

Idoc is not a tool or IDoc is not a process.....

IDOCs are stored in the database. In the SAP system, IDOCs are stored in database tables.

IDOCs are independent of the sending and receiving systems.

IDOCs are independent of the direction of data exchange.

Business data is exchanged with an external system using the IDoc Interface.

The IDoc Interface consists of the definition of a data structure and a processing logic.

The data structure is the IDoc.

It is the exchange format that unites the communicating systems

An IDoc is used in the following situation

Electronic Data Exchange (EDI)

Application Link Enabling (ALE)

Linking to any other business application systems

There are basically two types of IDOCs.

Basic IDOCs

Extended IDOCs

Idoc Components

Basic Idoc

Basic IDOC type defines the structure and format of the business document that is to be exchanged between two systems.

Extension Idoc

Extending the functionality by adding more segments to existing Basic IDOCs.

Creation of IDoc

To Create Idoc we need to follow these steps:

Create Segment ( WE31)

Create Idoc Type ( WE30)

Create Message Type ( WE81)

Assign Idoc Type to Message Type ( WE82)

Creating a Segment

Go to transaction code WE31

Enter the name for your segment type and click on the Create icon

Type the short text

Enter the variable names and data elements

Save it and go back

Go to Edit -> Set Release

Follow steps to create more number of segments

Create IDOC Type

Go to transaction code WE30

Enter the Object Name, select Basic type and click Create icon

Select the create new option and enter a description for your basic IDOC type and press enter

Select the IDOC Name and click Create icon

The system prompts us to enter a segment type and its attributes

Choose the appropriate values and press Enter

The system transfers the name of the segment type to the IDOC editor.

Create IDOC Type

Follow these steps to add more number of segments to Parent or as Parent-child relation

Save it and go back

Go to Edit -> Set release

Create Message Type

Go to transaction code WE81

Change the details from Display mode to Change mode

After selection, the system will give this message “The table is cross-client (see Help for further info)”. Press Enter

Click New Entries to create new Message Type

Fill details

Save it and go back

Assign Message Type to IDoc Type

Go to transaction code WE82

Change the details from Display mode to Change mode

After selection, the system will give this message “The table is cross-client (see Help for further info)”. Press Enter.

Click New Entries to create new Message Type.

Fill details

Save it and go back

If you find it useful mark the points

~~Guduri

[former_member425121]

Thanks both

I have now an idea about what is an IDOC, i'm going to reward points, just because i can give ten points twice, i will give for first answer.

What does the RFC make ? , the IDOC has the data, it is transported via ALE or EDI, the sender program creates the IDOC; then the RFC is used to trigger the sending ?

Regards

Frank

[Former Member]

Frank

1. The Remote Function Call facility allows you to call an R/3 Function module on a “remote” machine.

2. To communicate between two R/3 Systems and also with an External System. External Application program also can call these function module for integration.

When you execute an RFC call, a number of task are automatically

performed. These include:

- Data conversion

- Logon to the SAP partner system

- Conversion of all RFC data types

- Control of the communication flow

~~Guduri