Interface Format

Definition

The interface format contains the objects that you want to export from the Human Resources application component (HR) to an external system.

Use

The interface format is the basis for data export with the Interface Toolbox. You use the interface format to determine which HR data you want to select, and also how this selection should take place. When you define an interface format, you can access all employee data for the following application components:

  • Personnel Administration (PA-PA)

  • Time Management (PT)

  • Payroll (PY)

Using your defined interface format as a basis, the Interface Toolbox will ultimately generate a program using the Advanced Business Application Programming language ( ABAP ). You use this program to export the data. The system processes the data quickly and effectively during the export.

The following graphic shows at which point the interface format takes place with the Interface Toolbox:

Structure

The interface format is a hierarchical sequence of objects.

Objects and their hierarchy

Object

Hierarchy classification

Example

Database objects

1

MDTA for HR master data PCL2 for payroll

Cluster objects

2

RX, RD, ... for payroll results B2 for time evaluation results

Table objects

3

WPBP for work center/basic pay,

P0002 for personal data

Field objects

4

PERSK for employee group ANZHL for number

Task

To save the personnel number data, the interface format uses the objects in the Human Resources component (HR). You use the interface format to select a data subset that meets your requirements.

Example Example

You can choose to select only the infotypes that you require for processing in an external system.

You can also select particular fields from the fields in an infotype.

End of the example.

The interface format and objects exactly match the definition of the data to be exported later with the export program. For performance reasons, the set of export data should be arranged in the best possible way.

Characteristic

Each object in the Interface Toolbox has specific characteristics. The characteristics determine how the object is processed and are assigned as follows:

  • Entered explicitly by the user

Example Example

You assign the Conversion characteristic to a field object.

End of the example.

  • Implicitly by the Interface Toolbox

Example Example

The Interface Toolbox automatically assigns the Length characteristic to the field object.

End of the example.

  • By the SAP System

Example Example

The SAP System assigns the Permissibility per infotype characteristic to the field object.

End of the example.