Because the BAPI Programming Guide has been completely revised in Release 4.6C, both its contents and its structure have been changed.

The entire BAPI development process has been summarized in a short version with the following properties:

• It divides BAPI development into individual phases.
• It contains all the facts that have to be observed during development. Details on individual items are listed as references to the BAPI Programming Guide.
  Accordingly, developers only have to read the short version to implement a BAPI. Reading the reference section is optional.
• All the details on relevant development aspects are listed in the reference section. It has a similar structure to the short version. It largely corresponds to the 4.6A Programming Guide.

The following subjects have been moved out into the reference section since the 4.6A Programming Guide:

• The customer enhancement concept for BAPIs
• The modification concept for BAPIs
• SAP enhancements to released BAPIs

The following subjects have been added:

• Details for business object types
• Guidelines for documenting business object types
• Guidelines for documenting BAPIs

• Changes in standardized BAPIs

• The functional scope of GetList BAPIs has been enhanced
• ExistenceCheck and GetStatus BAPIs are no longer considered standardized BAPIs

• Conventions have been defined for BAPI-ALE integration
• The return parameter must use reference structure BAPIRET2
• More exact description of BAPI error handling
• Revision of the testing chapter