Defining Data Formats (SAP Library)

Defining Data Formats

Purpose

Here you specify the formats in which the data has to be transferred in the function module interface.

BAPIs are not end user interfaces, they are programming interfaces that can be used in diverse application areas, for instance, to connect non-SAP systems and PC products to the R/3 System.

Fields in BAPI parameters must be presented in a neutral form used in the database and not in a form formatted in the BAPI interface.

Data must not be presented in a user-dependent or language-dependent format. For example, the date in a BAPI must be in the internally used format YYYYMMDD, where YYYY is the year, MM the month and DD the day.

Standard codes, such as ISO codes must be used, whenever possible.

Exceptions

SAP-specific data formats must be converted into the data format required externally. This applies to, for example:

Currency amount fields
Quantity fields
Fields that have an internal key
Specific fields in address structures

To do this you can generate function modules that can map the relevant data to each other and perform the conversion. For further information about these exceptions see Internal and External Data Formats.