Business object application-specific information

Application-specific information in business object definitions provides the BAPI module with application-dependent instructions on how to process business objects. These instructions are specified at the business-object level, at the attribute level (both for simple attributes and for attributes that represent a child or array of child business objects), and for verbs.

AppSpecificInfo for the verb of the top-level business object

The connector uses the value of the verb application-specific information in the top-level business object to call the appropriate BAPI-specific business object handler. The value of the AppSpecificInfo property specifies the package and classname for the BAPI-specific business object handler. The format is as follows:

AppSpecificInfo = bapi.client.BOHandler

where BOHandler is the name of the class. By default, SAPODA uses the name of the BAPI as the name of the class. SAPODA automatically adds the application-specific information to the top-level business object.

Important:
You must include the value client before the business object handler name to identify that the BAPI-specific business object handler acts as a client.

For example, if you are supporting the SALES_ORDER_CREATEFROMDAT2 BAPI, then the application-specific information is as follows:

AppSpecificInfo = bapi.client.sales_order_createfrom dat2

AppSpecificInfo for attributes

The connector uses the value of an attribute's application-specific information to determine which importing, exporting, and table parameters to use. The value of this property contains the prefix I (for importing parameters) or E (for importing parameters). The prefix indicates whether the attribute value is used to pass data into or out from the SAP application.

Because structure parameters can be either importing or exporting, they use either an I or an E before the parameter value. Because table parameters can pass data to and return data from a BAPI, they can have both I and E parameter values.

Important:
Always use a colon (:) separator when you specify parameter values with I and E. If specifying only an importing value, the colon must follow the value. If specifying only an exporting value, the colon must precede the value. If specifying both values, the colon follows the importing value and precedes the exporting value.

Figure 24 illustrates the correspondence between a business object and an example BAPI named BAPI_EXAMPLE. In the example, the simple attributes (Attribute_1, Attribute_2, and Attribute_3) specify only an importing or exporting parameter. The attribute that represents a child business object (Child_1) corresponds to an exporting structure parameter. The attribute that represents an array of child business objects (Child_2) corresponds to a table parameter.

Each child business object has a simple attribute that corresponds to a field of the corresponding structure or table (Attribute_11 and Attribute_14, respectively). You can find these fields by looking at the details of the BAPI.

Figure 24. Correspondence between a business object and an example BAPI


Table 34 identifies the format of the application-specific information for specific kinds of attributes.

Table 34. AppSpecificInfo Format for Specific Kinds of Attributes

AppSpecificInfo Format Attribute Type
IParameterName:EParameterName Simple
ITableName:ETableName Represents a child business object mapped to a table parameter
IStructureName:EStructureName Represents a child business object mapped to a structure parameter
IFieldName:EFieldName Represents an attribute of a child business object mapped to a field in a table or structure parameter

SAPODA automatically generates the appropriate application-specific information for the business object definition. It is recommended that you do not change the parameter names of the generated application-specific information.

Copyright IBM Corp. 1997, 2003