IDOC (INTERMEDIATE DOCUMENT)

Definition:
The data transfer is always in the form of a document called as IDOC (Intermediate Document). The data
transfer May SAP to SAP system or SAP to Non-SAP system.

Characteristics:
1. It is an intermediate document which contains the data
2. Technically IDOC is a group of segment
3. Each segment is group of fields
4. Segment are like structure
5. All the standard SAP segments will start with letter E1
6. All the custom segment must start with letter Z1

Technologies used for communication:

ALE (Application Link Enabling) is technology which is used to communicate between SAP to SAP
systems.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) or RFC (Remote Function Call) is the technology which is used to
communicate between SAP to Non-SAP system.

Note: IDOC is an SAP tool. The Non-SAP system cannot understand the format of IDOC’s, so we use the
middleware technologies like ‘TOBCO’ or ‘XI’ to communicate between SAP to Non-SAP system. Then
IDOC is converted Into XML (Extensible Markup Language) and it is given to ‘TIBCO’ or ‘XI’. The
middleware technologies will again convert to data into format which can be understood by the receiver
system.

IDOC Types:
1. Control Records
2. Data Records
3. Status Records

Explanation:
1. Control Records-
It contains the information like IDOC type, Message type, Partner number, port number and
direction. These information stored in the EDIDC table.

2. Data Records-
It contains the actual data sent or receive from the server/system. Also it contains segment
names and segment numbers, tables. Data record information is stored in the data dictionary
table EDIDD.

1 Miss. Payal Patel

 3. Status Record:
It contains the status of the IDOC at different stages. This is used to track the IDOC. IDOC having
status code for Sender side/ Outbound IDOC status code- 00 to 49 and receiver side/ Inbound
IDOC status code range from 50 to 75.
Sender side/Outbound IDOC - Data moving out of SAP server is called outbound IDOC
Receiver side/ Inbound IDOC – Data coming into SAP server is called inbound IDOC

Transaction codes used for IDOC:

1. WE30 - Create the IDOC
2. WE31 - Create segment
3. WE47 - Hold Status code description
4. WE02/ WE05 - Checking IDOC’S

Steps to Create IDOC:

Step1: First create the required segment in WE31 with some fields

- Go to WE31
- Give the segment type as Z____
- Click on create
- Give short description
- Give the list of fields
- Click on save and back
- Click on edit from menu bar
- Set release

Note:
1. Segment definition is completed and it is released also
2. Released status indicated that the segment definition is completed and it can be used to
transfer the data.

Step2: Create an IDOC in WE30 by inserting all the segment

- Go to WE30
- Give IDOC name Z_____
- Click on Create
- Give short description
- Press enter
- Click Create segment
- Pop appears click continue

2 Miss. Payal Patel