How to Create and Configure Custom iDoc Type in SAP

Although we should always try to reuse iDoc Message Types and iDoc Types provided with standard SAP content, there could be scenarios where you need to create a completly new Message Type and iDoc type with your own custom processing logic. Let’s look at how to create and configure a completely new custom iDoc Type in SAP.

SAP Versions used in the illustration:

  • SAP S4 HANA Fashion 1709

Scenario or Requirement for Custom iDoc Type:

Let’s assume you have an external Human Resource Management system and you want to transfer employee information to SAP from this external HR system using iDocs.

 

Overview of Steps to Create Custom iDoc Types.

  1. Register logical system – bd54 or sale
  2. Create custom iDoc segments – we31
  3. Define custom iDoc type – we30
    • Create iDoc type
    • Assign segments to iDoc Basic type
    • Configure segment properties
  4. Create custom Message Type – we81
  5. Assign iDoc Basic type to Message Type – we82
  6. Create Function Group – se80
  7. Develop iDoc processing Function Module – se37
    • Define iDoc processing Function Module
    • Code iDoc data processing ABAP logic
  8. Assign FM to Message Type/Basic Type combination – we57
  9. Configure characteristics of processing FM – bd51
  10. Configure custom inbound Process Code – we42
    • Create inbound Process Code
    • Assign processing FM to Process Code
    • Assign iDoc Message Type to inbound Process Code
  11. Setup Partner Profile – we20
    • Create Partner Profile
    • Configure inbound parameters of the Partner Profile
Overview of custom iDoc creation steps
Overview of custom iDoc creation steps

 

Let’s look at these steps in detail.

 

Step 1: Define iDoc Sender System as a Logical System in SAP.

First, let’s register the external HR system as a Logical System in SAP. Go to ALE transaction ‘SALE’ and select ‘DefineLogical System’ under ‘Logical Systems’.

Select Define Logical System in transaction SALE
Select ‘Define Logical System’ in SALE.

 

Let’s register the HR system as ‘TESTHR’.

 

Register iDoc sender Logical System in SALE or BD54
Register iDoc sender Logical System

 

You could also directly register the Logical System using transaction bd54.

 

Step 2: Create iDoc Custom iDoc Segments using Transaction We31.

Go to iDoc segment creation transaction we31 and create two new segments ‘ZEMP_HDR’ and ‘ZEMP_DESIGNATION’.

Create iDoc header segment in we31.
Create iDoc header segment in we31.

 

Configure iDoc detail segment in we31
Configure iDoc detail segment in we31

Using Segment Editor configure the fields of each segment. Set the field names and assign a data type for each field.

 

Step 3: Create Custom Z iDoc Basic type using Transaction we30.

Go to iDoc Basic Type creation transaction we30 and create custom iDoc type ‘ZEMPLOYEE_DETAIL’.

Select ‘Create New’.

Create new custom iDoc Type in transaction we30
Create new custom iDoc Type in transaction we30

 

Using Create button, add segments created in the previous step to iDoc Basic Type.

Add segments to iDoc basic type in transaction we30
Add segments to iDoc basic type in transaction we30

 

Configure iDoc segment maximum and minimum occurrences in we30
Configure iDoc segment maximum and minimum occurrences in we30

 

Set iDoc segment properties ‘Maximum Number’ and ‘Minimum Number’. These two settings correspond to maximum number of occurrences and minimum number of occurrences of the iDoc segment. If you want to configure a segment as mandatory, set the ‘Minimum Number’ as one.

 

Step 4: Create Message Type using Transaction we81.

In change mode, add new entry and set the Message Type name as ‘ZMSG_TY_EMPLOYEE_DETAIL’.

Create custom Message Type in we81
Create custom Message Type in we81

 

assign custom Message Type name in we81
assign custom Message Type name in we81

 

Step 5: Assign Message Type to iDoc Type Using Transaction we82.

Assign the Message Type ‘ZMSG_TY_EMPLOYEE_DETAIL’ created in step 4 with iDoc type ‘ZEMPLOYEE_DETAIL’ created in step 3.  Notice, you also have to set the release version of your SAP system with the configuration.

Add new entry in transaction we82
Add new entry in transaction we82

 

Step 6: Create Function Group in Transaction se80.

To assign the iDoc processing Function Module, create Function Group ‘ZEMPDETAIL_INBOUND_IDOC’ using transaction se80.

Function Group for inbound iDoc Function Module - se80
Function Group for inbound iDoc Function Module – se80

 

Step 7: Create Inbound iDoc Processing Function Module in se37.

We need a Function Module to process inbound iDocs in SAP. Inbound iDoc function modules should be in a certain format. That is, all inbound iDoc processing function modules have the same signature (import, export, tables and changing parameters). Only application/business logic of the function module is different in order to handle different Message Types and iDoc Types.

Signature of the inbound iDoc processing Function Module should be in below format.

Find any standard inbound iDoc processing Function Module using transaction we57 and copy it to a custom Z function module in transaction se37. In this example I am using the standard Function Module ‘BAPI_iDoc_Input1’ to create my custom Z function module.

Copy inbound iDoc processing function module to custom z function module.
Copy inbound iDoc processing function module to custom z function module.

 

Custom inbound iDoc Processing Function Module format
Custom inbound iDoc Processing Function Module format and ABAP logic

 

Write your own ABAP logic using IMPORT and TABLES parameters. Table IDOC_DATA contain iDoc segment data.

 

Step 8: Assign Message Type and iDoc Type to Function Module using Transaction we57.

Add new entry in we57 for custom Message Type, iDoc Type and Function Module
Add new entry in we57 for custom Message Type, iDoc Type and Function Module

 

Bind custom iDoc Function Module with Message Type and iDoc Type created.
Bind custom iDoc Function Module with Message Type and iDoc Type created

 

Step 9: Using Transaction bd51 Configure Characteristics of Inbound Function Module.

configure inbound Function Module parameters
Configure inbound Function Module parameters

 

Step 10: Create Inbound Process Code in Transaction we42.

Create inbound process code ‘ZEMP_DETAIL_POST’ using custom iDoc Function Module created in step 7 and assign the Logical Message ‘ZMSG_TY_EMPLOYEE_DETAIL’ to Process Code.

Configuration of inbound Process Code in transaction we42
Configuration of inbound Process Code in transaction we42

 

Assign logical Message Type to Process Code
Assign logical Message Type to Process Code

 

Step 11: In Transaction we20 Create Partner Profile.

Create Partner Profile in transaction we20 with the same name of the Logical System we had registered in Step 1.

Add new Logical System in we20
Add new Logical System in we20

 

Create Partner type Logical System
Create Partner type Logical System

 

Step 13: Configure Inbound Parameters of Partner Profile using Transaction we20.

Configure Inbound Parameters with the Custom Message Type. Then assign the custom Z process code created in previous steps.

Add new Inbound Parameter for Partner
Add new Inbound Parameter for Partner

 

Configure Message type, Process Code and Processing Type for Inbound Parameter
Configure Message type, Process Code and Processing Type for Inbound Parameter

 

Step 12: Using iDoc Test Transaction we19 Create Test iDoc.

To test the newly created custom iDoc type, use transaction we19 and select test using ‘Basic Type’.

Fill data to the iDoc segment by double-clicking on each segment and executing the iDoc using ‘Inbound Function Module’ option.

Test custom iDoc Type and Process Code in we19
Test custom iDoc Type and Process Code in we19

You can check the status of the iDoc created in we02 or we05.

Please leave a comment if you have any questions about Custom iDoc Creation steps.

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28 thoughts on “How to Create and Configure Custom iDoc Type in SAP

  1. Rafael says:

    Congratulations on the article.

    Is it possible to write an article about idoc between two SAP systems?

    Many thanks and congratulations.

  2. Bharathi says:

    Hi,
    Can u please tell me how the idoc work if i ordered one item in external application like eCommerce
    then that sales order automatically trigger the idoc then move to sap that created sales order.
    Please let me know “divyajayachandran@yahoo.com”

  3. Bharathi says:

    Hi,
    Can u please tell me how the idoc work if i ordered one item in external application like eCommerce
    then that sales order automatically trigger the idoc then move to sap that created sales order.
    Please let me know “divyajayachandran@yahoo.com”

    • Isuru Fernando says:

      Hi Bharathi,

      Question is very generic and there are multiple ways to integrate eCOM orders with SAP. It depends on the capabilities of the eCOM site and your clients integration tools.

      You can use standard ORDERS idoc to create sales order in SAP. How information cab be transmitted from eCommerce website to SAP depend on the capabilities of eCommerce website. They can transmit the data using SOAP calls, RFC calls, files etc. if your client has license to PI/PO then you can use use capabilities of PI/PO to communicate with eCOM site.

      for example: eCOM sFTP->PI/PO->SAP ORDERS iDoc or eCOM SOAP->PI/PO->SAP ORDERS iDoc

      Cheers!
      Isuru

  4. Christian says:

    Hi Isru,

    great tutorial, very clear and concise, I especially like the overview.
    One non-content related question: How do I set my SAP GUI to look like yours, I especially like the icons.

    Keep up the good work,
    Cheers
    Christian

  5. ABDUL IMRAN says:

    Hi ISURU
    I have been reading your articles from past one year .
    I am impressed with this article, it’s clear and helpful.
    Thank you.

  6. Shiva Charan Koti says:

    Hello Sunny Vaswani,
    Currently I am facing problem with IDoc status 03 in outbound process. it says dispatch OK but no documents are generated.
    In inbound process the final status ‘ delivery xxxxx created’. my question is where can use this delivery number ?
    it looks like process is completed but i don not see any billing document or material document created.
    could you please help me solving this issue.
    From,
    Shiva Charan Koti.
    Germany.

  7. Deepak says:

    Good article. How do you configure outbound Idoc? I need to send custom Idoc data from SAP to another external system.

  8. Jayasri says:

    Hi Isuru,
    I have configured Outbound Idoc for Invoice using message type INVOIC02 and it triggered successfully however few Standard Fields in Segment E1EDP01 like LGORT, MATNR,ABRVW,PEINH etc are missing in IDoc XML.
    Kindly help on this.
    Thank you,
    Jayasri

  9. Pradhono Rakhmono Aji says:

    Hi,
    Thanks for this article. However, I noticed that you create ZEMP_DESIGNATION but didn’t use it anywhere. Did I miss something?

  10. Tishan says:

    Hi Jayasri,

    Did you get a solution to this problem? I am in a similar situation missing tags with no error logs message type INVOICE02 Segment E1EDP01, Tags BMNG2, PMENE,VPREI,PEINH,NETWR.

    Hi Isuru,

    Do you have any idea why this type of error happens?

    Thank you,
    Tishan

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