Intermediate Documents (IDOCs)

What is an IDoc
An IDoc is simply a data container that is used to exchange information between any two processes that can understand the syntax and semantics of the data.

IDoc is not a process.

Intermediate Document

IDOCs are stored in the database. In the SAP system, IDOCs are stored in database tables.
IDOCs are independent of the sending and receiving systems. IDOCs are independent of the direction of data exchange.

Process

The two available process for IDOCs are

Outbound Process Inbound Process

Outbound Process

Sending out the data from our system. The IDOC which is called as Outbound IDOC.
Application Object Selection Program IDoc_output_<messagetype>

Appln data

idoc
Outbound Trigger Program Idoc in text format

Inbound Process

When the data is coming in, the process is called Inbound Process and the IDoc is known as Inbound IDoc. Application Object Appln data
Posting Program Idoc_inbound_<messagetype> idoc Inbound trigger program Idoc in text format

IDoc Applications

Several SAP applications use the robust IDOC interface. IDocs serve the basic purpose of transferring data from one application to another. EDI Integration

ALE Integration Legacy System Integration Third-party Product Integration Workflow Integration SAP R/2 Integration Internet Integration

Idoc Components
There are basically two types of IDOCs.

Basic IDOCs
Extended IDOCs

Idoc Components

Basic Idoc Basic IDOC type defines the structure and format of the business document that is to be exchanged between two systems.
Extension Idoc Extending the functionality by adding more segments to existing Basic IDOCs.

Creation of IDoc

To Create Idoc we need to follow these steps:

Create Segment ( WE31) Create Idoc Type ( WE30) Create Message Type ( WE81) Assign Idoc Type to Message Type ( WE82)

Runtime Components

There are three types of records Control Record Data Record Status Record
Control Record - contains the key information like destination, IDoc type, message type, port and sender information. Control records are of EDIDC type of structure

IDoc COMPONENTS

Runtime Components

Data Records - This contains two parts Administrative Section and Data Section Administrative Section consists of Idoc number, Segment Name, Segment number, Version, Segment Hierarchy etc. Data Section contains the data of respective segment Data records are of EDIDD type of structure

Runtime Components

Status Record - whenever a process is taken place, system will generate status records. We can identify the process with the number of status record. 01 - 49 for Outbound Process 50 - 75 for Inbound Process when IDoc is processed the messages are: 01 - IDoc is created 30 - IDoc is ready for dispatch 03 - IDoc is processed

Thanks