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Interfaces, Operations, and Message TypesLocate this document in the navigation structure

Interfaces and Operations

The following interface types exist in the ES Repository:

  • You create service interfaces directly in the ES Repository. A service interface provides one or more operations.
  • You import RFC or IDoc interfaces from an SAP system to the ES Repository. Imported interfaces are on the functional level as operations.

The following figure compares a service interface with the imported interface types:

Since an imported RFC or IDoc interface is on the same level as an operation, you can reference these interface types in the ES Builder or Integration Builder at points where you can also reference an operation of a service interface (for example, in an operation mapping).

Operations and Message Types

You reference one of the following object types from an operation:

  • Message types that have been created directly in the ES Repository. These message types reference a data type that defines the message structure.
  • Message schema from external definitions . External definitions are imported WSDL, XSD, or DTD documents. The proxy generation function can only process external definitions that fulfill certain prerequisites.
  • Message schema in an imported IDoc.
  • Message schema in an imported RFC (requests and, where applicable, response).

When you import RFCs or IDocs to the ES Repository or import an external definition, the ES Builder creates message objects in the ES Repository that you can use in operations of service interfaces. An operation cannot reference different object types (for example, a message type for a request and an RFC response).

Note

Messages of imported interfaces or external definitions cannot be changed and are therefore not visible in the navigation tree of the ES Builder.

XML Namespaces for Message Instances

An XML namespace is an additional identifier for the message instance. The XML namespace is either fixed or can be changed, depending on the type of message.

  • (Fault) message types: You can choose any XML namespace in the ES Builder.
  • RFCs and IDocs: The XML namespace is defined in the ES Builder. This corresponds to its fixed Repository namespace .
  • External definitions: The XML namespace is defined in the imported document.

Identical messages must have the same XML namespace. Otherwise, the request message of an outbound operation would have to be mapped to a request message of a corresponding inbound operation just because of a different XML namespace.