Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI) (SAP Library

Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI)

Use

The SAP business objects held in the Business Object Repository (BOR) encapsulate their data and processes. External access to the data and processes is only possible using specific methods - namely BAPIs (Business Application Program Interfaces).

A BAPI is defined as a method of an SAP Business Object Type or of an SAP Interface Type.

The functionality implemented in the SAP business object type CostCenter includes for example, listing all the available cost centers. The business object type CostCenter provides the BAPI GetList() for this purpose.

The BAPIs in the R/3 System are currently implemented as function modules which are created and managed in the Function Builder. Each function module underlying a BAPI:

Supports the Remote Function Call (RFC) protocol
Has been assigned as a method to an SAP business object type in the Business Object Repository
Is processed without returning any screen dialogs to the calling application

Integration

The graphic below shows the relationship between an SAP business object type, its associated BAPIs and its function modules.

Business Object Type with BAPIs and Associated Function Modules

This architecture enables SAP to change the details of a BAPI's implementation without affecting external applications that use the BAPI. For information on SAP policy for enhancing BAPIs see SAP Enhancements to BAPIs.

Prerequisites

To use a BAPI method to access data in SAP business objects, an application program only needs to know how to call the method. The information required is:

The name of the BAPI
Details of the BAPI interface:

Import parameters, which contain data to be transferred from the calling program to the BAPI
Export parameters, which contain data to be transferred from the BAPI back to the calling program
Import/export (table) parameters for both importing and exporting data

Application programmers can work with SAP business objects and implement their BAPIs without needing to know the underlying implementation and coding details.