SAP Automation is a suite of tools, components, and class libraries that allow application developers to integrate external applications from the desktop, a server, or a Web server with R/3 systems.

More specifically, the SAP Automation suite of tools enables the programmer to write applications that:

• Connect to R/3 from outside of the SAP GUI interface environment
• Access SAP business objects and Business APIs (BAPIs), their contents or metadata, from outside of R/3 (read and write access)
• Access R/3 RFC function modules, their contents or metadata, from outside of R/3 (read and write access)
• Input data into R/3 in a batch mode through R/3 transactions from outside of R/3
• Access and manipulate R/3 application screens data from outside the SAPGUI
• Capture the interaction between an end user and SAPGUI screens
• Provide an alternative GUI or non-GUI interface to R/3 applications and transactions
• Send or receive inbound or outbound IDoc documents to or from R/3