SAP IDoc (Intermediate Document)

SYSTEM 1

DOCUMENT 1

IDocSYSTEM 2

DOCUMENT 2

IDoc is an abbreviation for an intermediate document It is a SAP standard format for data exchange between

systems internal data exchanges between SAP modules, or external data exchanges (e.g., EDI with business partners)

IDoc Basic Structure

An IDoc consists of a control record, several data records and status records.

Control record and status records are the same for all IDoc types.

Function of IDoc Elements Control record: Defines the content, structure, sender,

receiver and status of the IDoc Data records: Defined by IDoc type (e.g., segment fields) Status records: Log the steps the IDoc message has gone

through up to the present

IDoc Record Types

Status Record IDoc-IDStatus information

Data Record IDoc-IDSequence/HierarchySegment Format definition for

• header data• item data

Control Record IDoc-IDSender-IDReceiver-IDIDoc type and logical messageExternal structure

IDoc Type

An IDoc type is defined through its permitted segments.

Segments can be dependent on each other (parent and child segments).

For example, segment E1MAKTM (Master material short texts /MAKT)is a child segment of E1MARAM (Master material general data/MARA) in IDoc type MATMAS01 (material master).

Relation between IDoc and IDoc type is similar to the relation between XML (Extensible Markup Language) document and DTD (document type declaration) file

An IDoc type is defined by

The fields it can have.Fields can be grouped into segments.Multiple segments can be grouped into a

(parent) segments.Segments and fields form a tree where the

leaves are fields, and intermediate nodes are segments

The Segment Tree of An IDoc Type MATMAS01 Material Master”

E1MARAM

Material Master General Data

MSGFNFunction

MATNRMaterial Number

E1MAKTMMaterial Description

E1MVKEMSales Data

MSGFNFunction

MAKTXMaterial Description

MSGFNFunction

VRKMESales Unit

Display IDoc Type

Tools->Business Communication->IDoc->IDoc Basic->Documentation>IDoc Type(TC:WE60)

Fill-in IDoc Type: MATMAS01 (Material master data) then click execute button

Click here to expand the node Display the segment name

and descriptions

Display An IDoc

Tools->Business Communication->IDoc->IDoc Basic->IDoc->Display IDoc (TC:WE02)

In the selection screen, change the date created (from) to “ ”, and change the IDoc number to “128760” (Material Master)

Then click “Execute” Button, then the IDoc displayed

Control data Click here to display data

records

IDoc

NASTRecord

Document

Document

SAP Application

Message Control (NAST)

System 2, e.g. EDI subsystem

IDoc Interface & ALE Services

Outbound Data Flow

SAP Application

SAP Business Workflow

System 2, e.g. EDI subsystem

IDoc Interface & ALE Services

Document

IDoc +Process

IDoc

IDoc +Function Module

Inbound Data Flow

Process Code, Port and Partner Profile

System 2e.g. EDI subsystem

SAP Application

ProcessCode Port

PartnerProfile