IDoc

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.

Getting started with IDocs

To explore how IDocs are used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources:

IDoc advice: Need some IDoc advice? Here are the 20 most frequently asked IDoc questions, including answers.

ATE: What does an IDoc look like?: Learn more about an IDoc's formatting, including whether you can send data to and from both SAP and non-SAP systems.

ATE: IDoc validation; populating in error tables from IDoc: Learn more about a simple way to populate your error tables in IDoc. Just follow these instructions.

Ask the Expert: How do you send an inbound IDoc from SAP for tracking?: Learn how to implement a common function in SAP production.

Read more about IDoc: - SAP includes links to more information in their "Interface Certification" section. - SearchSAP.com offers a featured topic: "One stop IDoc shop." - Seagull Scientific describes a specific application that uses the IDoc interface.

Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know. Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT SAP's Web 2.0 strategy makes way for social networking in business apps As SAP tries to makes its software easier to use, users can expect to see social networking tools in their enterprise software. Learn more in this... Error when clicking the SAP GUI logon button An SAP user receives a curious error message when he clicks the logon button in the SAP GUI. SAP applications demo: BP's key mapping In this screencast of a composite application shown at TechEd, BP demonstrates a key mapping services using NetWeaver.

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary Application Link Enabling  (SearchSAP.com) Remote Function Call  (SearchSAP.com)