What Are SAP R/3 IDocs?

IDocs are SAP�s file format to exchange data with a foreign

system. This chapter is intended as an introduction to the
concept.
Summary
� IDocs are an ASCII file format to exchange data
between computers; the format is chosen arbitrarily
� IDocs are similar to segmented files; they are not a
description language like ANSI X.12, EDIFACT or XML
� The IDoc contents are processed by function modules,
which can be assigned in customizing

What are IDocs?

IDocs are structured ASCII files (or a virtual equivalent). They are the file
format used by SAP R/3 to exchange data with foreign systems.
IDocs Are SAP's
implementation of
structured text files
IDocs are simple ASCII data streams. When they are
stored to a disk file, the IDocs are simple flat files with
lines of text, where the lines are structured into data
fields. The typical structured file has records, where
each record starts with a leading string, which identifies
the record type. Their specification is stored in the data
dictionary.
Electronic Interchange
Document
IDocs is the acronym for Interchange Document. This
indicates a set of (electronic) information which build a
logical entity. An IDoc is e.g. all the data of a single
customer in your customer master data file. Or the IDoc
is all the data of a single invoice.
Data Is transmitted in ASCII
format, i.e. human readable
form
IDoc data is usually exchanged between systems and
partners who are completely independent. Therefore
the data should be transmitted in a format, that can
easily be corrected by the humans who operate the
computers. It is therefore mandatory to post the data in
a human readable form.
Nowadays, this means that data is coded in ASCII
format, including number, which are sent as string of
figures 0 to 9. Such data can easily be read with any
text editor on any computer, be it a PC, Macintosh,
UNIX System, S/390 or any internet browser.
IDocs exchange messages The information which is exchanged by IDocs is called
a message and the IDoc is the physical representation
of such a message. The name �messages� for the
information sent via IDocs is used in the same ways as
other EDI standards do.
IDocs are used like classical
interface files
Everybody who ever dealt with interface programming,
will find IDocs very much like the hierarchical data files
used in traditional data exchange.
International standards like the ODETTE or VDA formats
are designed in the same way as IDocs are.
XML, ANSI X:12 or EDIFACT
use a description language
Other EDI standards like XML, ANSI X.12 or EDIFACT/UN
are based on a data description language. They differ
principally from the IDocs concept, because they use a
programming language syntax (e.g. like Postscript or
HTML) to embed the data.