Notes

Also note the following:

• Namespace extension

  Namespace extension is also supported for customers and partners starting in Release 4.5A.

• Filtering for data selection

  The distribution of data can be linked to conditions that are defined as filters in the distribution model.

  If you want to filter the data, you have to select the option Data Filtering Allowed in the dialog box when you are creating or changing the filters.

  For more information, see the ALE Programmer Guide under Data Filtering .

• Serializing

  The function module on the outbound processing side has an optional parameter SERIAL_ID (reference to the channel number). This input parameter manages the assignment of messages to object channels. All the messages in the target system are processed in an object channel in the same order they were created in the source system. An object channel is identified by a key from the object type of the BAPI and from the channel number.

  For more information on this subject, refer to the document "ALE Introduction and Administration" under Serialization of Messages .

• Links

  The link in ALE answers the following questions:

  • Outbound processing:

    From which application object has the IDoc been created?

    The prerequisite is that the application has correctly filled the parameter APPLICATION_OBJECTS in the function module used for outbound processing.

  • Inbound processing:

    From which outbound IDoc was the inbound IDoc created from and which application object was created from the inbound IDoc?

    A key has been defined in the BOR for the BAPI method, and this key is contained in the exporting or importing parameters in the BAPI function module. This key may consist of several key fields. If there are no key fields in the BOR, a link to another object can be specified.

• Documentation on Generated Function Modules

  Documentation has been written on function modules generated for inbound and outbound processing. You can display this documentation from within the interface. It describes the purpose of the parameters and their values.

• BAPI Return Parameters and IDoc Status

  If the Return parameter has been filled by the application, the IDoc status and the corresponding information from the parameter is included in the IDoc. Message types determine the IDoc status.

  If the Return parameter is an EXPORTING parameter, then a single IDoc status record is written:

  Message type A	Status 51 (application document not posted, with DB rollback)
  Message type E	Status 51 (application document not posted, without DB rollback)
  Message type W, I or S	Status 53 (application document posted)

  If the Return parameter is a TABLES parameter, then several IDoc status records can be written, depending on the message types in the table:

  Message type A	Status 51 (application document not posted, with DB rollback)
  Message type E	Status 51 (application document not posted, without DB rollback)
  Exception	No IDoc status for type S
  No message type A or E	Status 53 (application document posted)

  The IDoc status records are written in the same sequence as the messages in the Return parameter. If the Return parameter was not filled, this means the BAPI has been successfully called by the IDoc. In this case, an IDoc status record with status 53 (application document posted) is written from the ALE layer. If an error occurs, only the first message from the Return parameter is included in the text of the corresponding error task (work item).

  • Restrictions on Generating Interfaces

    • You should not use the generation function when parameters in the BAPI function module (IMPORTING and/or TABLES) have the same reference structure . In this situation the IDoc segment is not uniquely mapped to the parameter. For this reason you cannot identify the parameters when the inbound IDoc is processed.

    • If the dataset has more than 1000 bytes in the reference structure of a parameter or in a field in the reference structure, you cannot use the generation function because only one segment can be loaded with a dataset of maximum size 1000 bytes.