This book teaches you how to integrate third-party programs with your SAP systems while avoiding the many pitfalls that can arise from different programming languages and interface technologies. It provides a comprehensive description of the communication protocols that are supported by SAP, which components of the SAP NetWeaver Application Server implement them, and how these components must be configured to enable communication with external systems.

Overview of Interface Programming
Uncover basic principles of interface programming, answers to frequently asked questions about security, and information on various technologies.

Classic and Modern SAP Information
The authors introduce you to classic and modern SAP interfaces and protocols, enabling you to solve any problem you may encounter.

Interface Technologies
Benefit from a detailed examination of the central interface technologies: RFC, BAPIs, ALE, IDocs, and SOAP.

Descriptive Examples
Learn how to apply your knowledge to real-life situations with many programmed examples in ABAP, Java, C, and C#.

Comprehensive Coverage
This book serves as an ideal companion with numerous screenshots and a detailed index. You'll discover how best to connect your systems to those of your partners — without problems or external assistance.

Highlights

• Basic Principles
  • Overview of the interface technologies
  • KeyStores
  • User Management Engine
• Remote Function Call with ABAP, C, Java
  • Business Objects
  • C RFC Library
  • SAP Java Connector
• SOAP
  • Web services and clients
  • Java API for XML Web services
  • SOAP programming with C#
• SAP NetWeaver XI/PI
  • Integration Repository
  • Integration Directory
  • XI/SOAP Proxies

About the Author(s)

Dr. Michael Wegelin is Managing Director of AddOn Software GmbH in Neu-Ulm, Germany. Michael Englbrecht works as a Senior Consultant there. Both are experts in ABAP, SAP NetWeaver PI, Enterprise Java, and SAP NetWeaver AS Java.

Table of Contents

• ... Preface ... 11
• 1 ... Basic Principles of SAP Interface Programming ... 13
• 1.1 ... SAP NetWeaver Application Server ... 13
• 1.1.1 ... SAP Solutions and SAP NetWeaver ... 13
• 1.1.2 ... SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP ... 16
• 1.1.3 ... SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java ... 29
• 1.2 ... Security ... 32
• 1.2.1 ... Security in Heterogeneous Landscapes ... 32
• 1.2.2 ... User Management Engine ... 36
• 1.2.3 ... KeyStores: Authentication, Signatures, Encryption ... 38
• 1.2.4 ... Authentication and Authorization ... 40
• 1.3 ... Programming SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP ... 57
• 1.3.1 ... ABAP Dictionary ... 58
• 1.3.2 ... Authentication and Authorization ... 63
• 1.3.3 ... Number Ranges ... 64
• 1.3.4 ... Function Modules ... 64
• 1.3.5 ... Update Modules ... 67
• 1.3.6 ... Application Functions and User Interfaces ... 68
• 1.4 ... Overview of SAP Interface Technologies ... 70
• 1.4.1 ... File Interface ... 70
• 1.4.2 ... Remote Function Call ... 72
• 1.4.3 ... BAPIs ... 82
• 1.4.4 ... Application Link Enabling ... 84
• 1.4.5 ... SOAP ... 90
• 1.4.6 ... XI SOAP ... 92
• 2 ... Remote Function Call with ABAP ... 95
• 2.1 ... RFC Function Modules in ABAP ... 95
• 2.1.1 ... Function Modules for Reading ... 95
• 2.1.2 ... Call via sRFC ... 98
• 2.1.3 ... Function Modules for Deleting and Changing ... 101
• 2.2 ... Transactional RFC ... 106
• 2.3 ... Queued RFC ... 111
• 2.3.1 ... qRFC with Outbound Queue ... 112
• 2.3.2 ... qRFC with Outbound and Inbound Queue ... 115
• 2.4 ... Business Objects and BAPIs ... 118
• 2.4.1 ... Developing Business Objects ... 118
• 2.4.2 ... Developing BAPIs ... 119
• 2.4.3 ... “Helpvalues” Business Object ... 141
• 3 ... Remote Function Call with C ... 145
• 3.1 ... C RFC Library ... 145
• 3.1.1 ... RFC Software Development Kit ... 146
• 3.1.2 ... Connection Tests ... 148
• 3.1.3 ... Compiling and Linking ... 152
• 3.2 ... Simple RFC Clients and RFC Parameters ... 153
• 3.2.1 ... Structure of an RFC Client Program ... 154
• 3.2.2 ... Simple Parameters ... 164
• 3.2.3 ... Structured Parameters ... 167
• 3.2.4 ... Table Parameters ... 171
• 3.3 ... More Complex RFC Clients ... 174
• 3.3.1 ... Calling BAPIs ... 174
• 3.3.2 ... Transactional RFC ... 177
• 3.3.3 ... Queued RFC ... 188
• 3.4 ... RFC Server ... 189
• 3.4.1 ... Logon to Gateway ... 192
• 3.4.2 ... Installing and Executing Functions ... 194
• 3.4.3 ... Dispatching ... 202
• 3.4.4 ... Transactional RFC ... 205
• 4 ... Remote Function Call with Java ... 217
• 4.1 ... SAP Java Connector ... 217
• 4.1.1 ... Installation ... 217
• 4.1.2 ... Architecture of SAP Java Connector ... 218
• 4.1.3 ... Programming with SAP Java Connector ... 220
• 4.1.4 ... Processing Tables and Structures ... 229
• 4.1.5 ... Transactional RFC ... 232
• 4.1.6 ... Queued RFC ... 234
• 4.1.7 ... Metadata Processing ... 236
• 4.2 ... Enterprise Connector ... 237
• 4.2.1 ... Generating Proxy Classes ... 238
• 4.2.2 ... Programming the Client ... 243
• 4.3 ... RFC Server ... 244
• 4.3.1 ... Server-Side and Client-Side Repository ... 245
• 4.3.2 ... Programming a Simple JCo Server ... 247
• 4.3.3 ... Registering a Function Handler ... 249
• 4.3.4 ... Managing Transactions ... 251
• 4.4 ... JCo RFC Provider Service ... 252
• 4.5 ... SAP NetWeaver Portal Connector Framework ... 256
• 4.5.1 ... Java Connector Architecture ... 257
• 4.5.2 ... System Landscape of the Portal ... 258
• 4.5.3 ... Introduction to Programming in the Portal ... 261
• 4.5.4 ... Application Example of the Connector Framework ... 264
• 5 ... IDocs and ALE ... 271
• 5.1 ... IDocs ... 272
• 5.1.1 ... Developing IDocs ... 272
• 5.1.2 ... Creating IDocs ... 275
• 5.1.3 ... Inbound Processing of IDocs ... 279
• 5.2 ... ALE ... 284
• 5.2.1 ... ALE Configuration ... 284
• 5.2.2 ... Testing and Monitoring ... 290
• 5.2.3 ... ALE Interface for BAPIs ... 292
• 5.3 ... IDoc Programming with the C RFC Library ... 296
• 5.3.1 ... IDoc Receiver ... 297
• 5.3.2 ... IDoc Sender ... 300
• 5.4 ... IDoc Programming with Java and JCo ... 302
• 5.4.1 ... Preparation for the Use of IDoc Libraries ... 302
• 5.4.2 ... Client Application for IDocs ... 303
• 5.4.3 ... IDoc Server ... 307
• 5.4.4 ... Configuration for the Dispatch of IDocs ... 310
• 6 ... Service-Oriented Architecture Protocol ... 311
• 6.1 ... Web Services and Clients with SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP ... 311
• 6.1.1 ... ABAP SOAP Web Service ... 311
• 6.1.2 ... ABAP SOAP Web Client ... 319
• 6.2 ... Web Services and Clients with SAP NetWeaver AS Java ... 323
• 6.2.1 ... Web Service Infrastructure in SAP NetWeaver AS Java ... 323
• 6.2.2 ... Web Service Provider with J2EE ... 326
• 6.2.3 ... Web Service Clients ... 333
• 6.2.4 ... Adaptive Web Service with Web Dynpro ... 338