How to Create and Read Flat IDocs from Files in SAP

I have recently come  across the need to “manually” move an IDoc for testing purposes form one SAP system to another. The two systems were in two different environments and not planned to be connected network wise. So we needed a way to export and import an IDoc.

The idea was to export the IDoc on system A to a file and then import it in system B from that file. It seemed an easy task, but turned out to be quite tricky. I haven’t found much help from searching online or in SAP docs but enough to put something together that worked at the end. I’d like to share this here in a step-by-step guide.

Please note that this is only for manual testing purposes for single cases and not intended to serve as any kind of IDoc interface.

We firsts export an existing IDoc from source system, download the file to the local computer and then upload it to another system:

 

1 How to export a flat IDoc file in SAP ERP:

SAP GUI, Transaction Code: WE19

* Load an existing Idoc (see we02) via idoc number.
* Click on “inbound file” (note: this is actually confusing. You’re going to write a file to the file system, but the function is called inbound file. But it’s all right and you can go ahead.)
* Enter a path on the server (use transaction AL11 to find a suitable path) and a filename. The file name can be chosen freely. Execute the function and ignore the error about the not found port!

* Download the exported file to your local machine using Transaction Code: CG3Y.
You can also use AL11 which displays a list of all available files. Select the file and then click the button marked below (“Download File as Text”): * Target is a patch on your local machine.
* Choose ASC for ASCII mode.
* Execute the download.
* You can now edit the file on your PC if needed, or further process/distribute it. And you can now upload it e.g. to another SAP system and edit it there before processing (see next chapter).

 

2 Upload and Inbound Process a Flat IDoc File

* Upload the file using transaction code CG3Z e.g. to a temp directory.
* Use t.code WE19 and select “File as Template”.
* Enter the path where you’ve uploaded the file and the filename.
* The test tool displays your IDoc, you can also change it here.
* You also need to create the control record (I don’t go into details of this here as this is required knowledge about the standard IDoc processing and can be found elsewhere). To create the control record, click on the first line in the editor and enter the data as needed (of course, change the name to your IDoc’s message type. Here it’s a business partner IDoc) :
* When you’re ready, click “Standard Inbound”. If a partner profile (WE20) exists, it will be processed after executing the function (or collected for later processing). See the status of the new IDoc in WE02.

  http://bit.ly/2zhLxci #SAP #SAPCloud #AI

We prouldy present, first time at SAP TechEd Bangalore 2017 – THE SAP JAM BAND

The SAP Jam Band at SAP TechEd is now a kind of “must-have” or “institution”. This colourful mix of musicians (or let’s say people who love music) from the community has been rocking the crowd in Las Vegas since 2011.

2 years later (2013) the Jam Band was conquering the EMEA TechEd in Amsterdam. That was when I joined – or well, I got pulled on stage by the band.

Last year (remember there was Björn Goerke’s “Back to the future theme”) the Band even made it into the Keynote Hall.

Hard to top, you think? Well, you should read on…

Just to clarify – the Jam Band is not rehearsing a lot – nope, these people organize, select the songs, discuss the flow all online. No rehearsals! My husband (who is btw, a great musician) always makes this joke “Musicians that need to practice are not good enough”. Well, so the SAP Jam Band seems to be very good, as they come together the day before the gig for just a couple of hours for rehearsal. It’s a lot of fun, as you never know how it ends up. Songs and flow are often changing right on stage. Nothing for people with low stress levels Thanks to the “SAP TechEd God”, we always had a great audience singing along, dancing and clapping!

What a crazy idea!

So there was this day in Summer when Bjoern Goerke  came to me “Why don’t we have a Jam Band in Bangalore?”. Hmmm… not sure… good question… I heard there were several attempts… that did not work out.

As it is my nature (as a project manager) to find solutions, I was scratching my head, thinking, thinking… I thought it could work if we would have a “core band” that is leading. Then other people could join adhoc, and if not, we would have at least a band that is able to play. But where to find this Core-Band that is strong enough to lead? Finally my great fellow in Bangalore Shilpa Krishnaswamy helped my thinking… and in the end she was able to put together a new band formed of SAP Employees from Bangalore. Don’t ask how she did it! Seems she is an even better networker than I am! A week later or so – TATATAAA… she presented me these wonderful people: Hemanya Tyagi, Amar Chandwani, Arjun Krishnakumar, Renuka Devi MP, Soumil Sarkar, Rishav Das.

Shilpa took “her job” very serious, she took care of getting them a rehearsal room, instruments, and is updating me daily via WhatsApp on the progress of the rehearsals and Rishav and Amar have supported a lot to get the equipment for rehearsal. They turned out to be incredibly talented musicians! Funnily enough that this band has had so much fun that they want to stay together, even after SAP TechEd.

So Björn, we reached our goal!
We made it: This year we will have for the first time an SAP Jam Band
at SAP TechEd Bangalore.

So you want to know when the SAP Jam Band is going to play in Bangalore?

Jam Band – Appearing at the Networking Reception on the Wednesday night right after the celebrity keynote (Keynote Area, Hall 4). We need ALL of you to come and celebrate, dance and sing along with us.

Do you want to become a part of the Jam band?

It would not be a Jam band without Jammers joining! Please raise your hand for a song or two! It is a community band we really love to share the microphones around between songs for a great jam. You can also sign up as Backup Singers! It’s not unusual for 2 to 3 people to take a microphone and sing along with the lead singer. If you want to join as Lead Singer, Rhythm and Bass Guitarists, Keyboards please let us know by the week before SAP TechEd. We do like people to join us on the night even without volunteering, but if you’d like to get in a rehearsal and not miss out, then please volunteer early.

Finally, to volunteer, please contact me with:

* Your contact details
* What band position(s) you are volunteering for
* What song’s you’d like to join (top 3)

Setlist

(Subject to change… plus there will be some more Indian/Hindi songs added)

* Smoke on the water – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUwEIt9ez7M
* Skyfall – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeumyOzKqgI
* Snow – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuFI5KSPAt4
* Can’t stop – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfOdWSiyWoc
* What I have done – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sgycukafqQ
* Hallelujah – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRP8d7hhpoQ
* Turn the page – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPOTEs_yTJo
* Demons – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRsgZuwf_8
* We are the world – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW_1YAYQK9g

Looking forward to hear from you and see you in Bangalore! http://bit.ly/2zfNndJ #SAP #SAPCloud #AI