SAP iDocs EDI

The iDoc is an example of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). EDI is also called paperless exchange.

EDI (Electronic Document interchange) - EDI is the electronic exchange of business documents between the computer systems of business partners, using a standard format over a communication network.

EDI can be of two types: Outbound and Inbound.

Advantages of EDI idocs: 
  • Reduced Data entry errors
  • Reduced processing time
  • Availability of data in electronic form
  • Reduced paperwork
  • Reduced Cost
  • Reduced inventories and better planning
  • Standard means of communications
  • Better business process
IDOC:IDOC is a container that can be used to exchange data between any two processes.
1. One Control Record.
2. One or many Data Record
3. One or many Status record. 



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)

Let's see them now.
Control Record
It contains the general information about that IDoc. It stores the sender identification, receiver identification and IDoc type.Cotrol Records are stored in the data dictionary table EDIDC and it can be views by transaction code SE11.Idoc type is the key information for IDoc processor to interpret the data containing in that IDoc.
Important Fields containing in Control records are

  • Mestyp: (Logical message type)
  • Idoctp: (Idoc type -Basic structure of the IDoc)
  • Cimtyp: (Structure of customer extension)
  • Rcvprt: (Partner type of the receiver)
  • Rcvprn: (Partner number of the receiver)
  • Rcvpfc: (Partner function of the receiver)
  • Segnam: (Segment type)
  • Sdata: (Actual data with maximum 1000 byte-long character)

Data Records: It contains the actual data to process.Data records are stored in the data dictionary table EDIDD.Data records consists with two parts segment name and segment data. For each segment type of the IDoc structure, there is a DDIC structure with the same name. A field string with this structure is used for creating a data record. The application data is mapped to the field string. The segment type is written to the field SEGNAM, and the field string is written to the field SDATA. This data record is then included in the internal table with the structure edidd.
The fields in data records are
Status Record: It stores the status of IDOC. The status records are stored in the data dictionary table EDIDS.
The important fields in these records are

  • DOCNUM
  • STATUS
  • STATXT
  • SEGNUM


iDoc Control Data:
Each iDoc has a control data. It provides administrative data such as iDoc number, sender, receiver, port, message type and iDoc type information. 
PORT:
Port is used in the outbound process to determine the name of the EDI subsystem program, the directory path where the IDOC file will be created at the operating system level, the IDOC file names and the RFC destinations.
RFC Destination:
Used to define the characteristics of communication links to a remote system on which a functions needs to be executed.
Partner Profile:
Partner profile specified the various components used in an outbound process (Partner number, IDOC type, message type, Port, Process code), the mode in which it communicates with the subsystem (batch or immediate) and the person to be notified in case of errors.
Message Control:
Used in pricing, account determination, material determination, and output determination. The message control component enables you to encapsulate business rules with out having to write ABAP programs.



Each IDOC is assigned a unique number for tracking and future reference.
IDOC consists of several segments, and segments contain several fields.

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