Files on the SAP Server 

Procedure

...

       1.      From the list of steps, choose Specify files.

       2.      Switch to change mode.

       3.      Position the cursor on Legacy data on the SAP server (application server).

       4.      Choose Create entry.
The File on the SAP Server: Edit properties screen appears.

       5.      Either enter the file path and file name or select it from the list.

       6.      Enter a file description.

       7.      Set the appropriate indicators under file contents, delimiter, file structure, file type, and code page.

In the Code Page subwindow, you can make the following settings:

○       In the Code Page field, you set the code page in accordance with the contents of the file.

 

In Unicode SAP systems, the coding of a file is set to UTF-8 (SAP code page 4110), by default.

○       The flag Continue Despite Conversion Errors controls whether, when conversion errors occur when working with the file on the application server, a non-convertible character is replaced by a replacement character (the default replacement character is '#’).

○       By setting the field Replacement Character, you can change the default replacement character # to another character of your choice. To be able to use this character, the Continue Despite Conversion Errors indicator must be set.

Example: Set the code page according to the actual content of the file. If the data quality is poor, you can select the Continue Despite Conversion Errors to continue working despite the errors – with a ‘#’ or the replacement character specified here as the replacement character.

More information about working with legacy data files in the LSMW, in particular, in connection with Unicode systems or Unicode files, is provided in SAP Note 1066952.

       8.      Choose Continue.

Physical file paths must be followed by a delimiter (slash, backslash, etc.) at the end.

If you use spaces, umlauts (‘ü’, ‘ä’, ‘ö’) , and so on, problems can occur when importing or converting the data.

 

Also note the following information:

●      For each file, the total of file name and path must not be more than 45 characters in length as otherwise the system will report a syntax error.

●      User <sid>adm needs read authorization (at operating system level) for the input file and the associated file path and write authorization for the file path of the output file.

●      In contrast with physical file names and paths, logical file names and paths are independent from the naming convention of the operating system being in use. The system converts them internally, in accordance with the respective naming convention.

In general, the LSMW works with physical file names. However, if you are prompted to specify logical file names or file paths for the file of the converted data, refer to SAP Note 753511.

●      You must use different names for the two files.

●      If a file contains data from multiple source structures, the order of the fields must match the source structure definition.

●      If a file contains data from one source structure, then the order of the fields must match the source structure definition, or there must be field names at the start of the file that specify the assignment of the columns to the fields.

●      If the file contains flags that indicate the ends of records (text file), then packed fields are not allowed.

●      If the file contains delimiters, then packed fields are not allowed.

●      You can mix PC files and server files according to your requirements.

●      A file that contains data from multiple source structures can be assigned multiple source structures in the next step.

●      A file that contains data from multiple source structures can be assigned multiple source structures in the next step.

●      If you use multiple files in an object, then the corresponding source structures must contain fields with the same names.