IDoc

Key takeaways

IDoc belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect IDoc to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of IDoc from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

IDoc, short for Intermediate Document, is an SAP document format for business transaction data transfers. Non SAP-systems can use IDocs as the standard interface (computing) for data transfer. IDoc is similar to XML in purpose, but differs in syntax. Both serve the purpose of data exchange and automation in computer systems, but the IDoc-Technology takes a different approach. While XML allows having some metadata about the document itself, an IDoc is obliged to have information at its header like its creator, creation time etc. While XML has a tag-like tree structure containing data and meta-data, IDocs use a table with the data and meta-data. IDocs also have a session that explains all the processes which the document passed or will pass, allowing one to debug and trace the status of the document. Different IDoc types are available to handle different types of messages. For example, the IDoc format ORDERS01 may be used for both purchase orders and order confirmations. IDoc technology offers many tools for automation, monitoring and error handling. For example, if the IDocs are customised that way on a particular server, then a user of SAP R/3 system creates a purchase order; this is automatically sent via an IDoc and a sales order is immediately created on the vendor's system. When this order cannot be created because of an application error (for example: The price per piece is lower than allowed for this material), then the administrator on the vendor's system sees this IDoc among the erroneous ones and can solve the situation. If the error is in the master data at the vendor's system, he can correct them and order the IDoc to be processed again. Because of the flexibility and transparency of IDoc technology, some non-SAP technologies use them as well.

Structure of the IDoc An IDoc consists of

Control record (it contains the type of IDoc, port of the partner, release of SAP R/3 which produced the IDoc etc.) Data records of different types. The number and type of segments is mostly fixed for each IDoc type, but there is some flexibility (for example an SD order can have any number of items). Status records containing messages like 'IDoc created', 'The recipient exists', 'IDoc was successfully passed to the port', 'Could not book the invoice because..' The IDoc itself is a structured Text-File, that means IDocs can be used on all platforms, there is no need to translate binary data. Each record is identified by the name of the record. The load (data) is stored in a 1000 byte long container. Use transaction WE60 in a SAP-System to get documentation for IDocs, like HTML files and C-header files.

IDoc Transactions in SAP The following transactions can be used to create and process IDocs. The list does not include any transaction required for the development of new IDoc types. Please note that you get a comprehensive list of available transactions by using area menu WEDI.

WE02 - IDoc List report WE05 - IDoc List WE09 - IDoc Search for Business Content WLF_IDOC - IDoc Processing This transaction is used to display and edit IDocs. WE19 - Test Tool for Idoc Processing WE20 - Partner Profile This transaction determines a processing code based on the partner profile identified by the control record of the IDoc. WE21 - Ports in IDoc processing This transaction identifies an external port (RFC, File, ABAP-PI, etc.) that controls the IDoc flow to an external system. WE30 - IDoc Type Development WE31 - Development IDoc Segment WE32 - Development IDoc View WE41 - Outbound process code This transaction links an outbound processing code specified in a partner profile to a function module. WE42 - Inbound process code This transaction links an inbound processing code specified in a partner profile to a function module. WE60 - IDoc Documentation BD87 - Inbound processing This transaction processes outbound IDocs.

NAST NAST is a technique in SAP-Systems to create messages. Messages can be printed, sent or transferred into IDocs. SAP uses this for many applications e.g. Purchase Orders (PO). The PO can create a message which might be printed, sent by FAX, or translated into an IDoc of type ORDERS. The IDoc ORDERS can be forwarded in an B2B-process to a vendor.

Error Handling Transactions like WE02, WE05, WE09, WE19, and BD87 are used in traditional approaches to error handling in IDOC administration. Drill down through the idocs status data to find the actual root case. However, SAP S/4 HANA has rectified this and now provides an upgraded version of all of these with the WLF_ IDOC transaction.

References

External links Introduction into IDoc + references at sdn.sap.com IDoc Medic - Error Handling for SAP IDoc Basics For Functional Consultants

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IDoc

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IDoc claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to IDoc before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about IDoc ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of IDoc

In research: IDoc appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses IDoc in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: IDoc is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer file formats, Data modeling languages, Data serialization formats, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IDoc outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study IDoc in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IDoc means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain IDoc out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IDoc in simple terms?

IDoc, short for Intermediate Document, is an SAP document format for business transaction data transfers. Non SAP-systems can use IDocs as the standard interface (computing) for data transfer.

Why does IDoc matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study IDoc?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on IDoc.