Business object attribute properties

The properties of the attributes of a top-level business object differ depending on whether the attribute represents a simple value, or a child or an array of child business objects.

SAPODA generates the attribute properties as described in each table.

Table 34. Simple attributes properties: Top-level business object

Property name Description
Name Derived from the description or name of the BAPI parameter. SAPODA replaces special characters (such as periods, slashes, and spaces) with underscores.
Type Specifies the type of data. SAPODA sets the value to String.
MaxLength Specifies the field length of the BAPI parameter.
IsKey Specifies whether the attribute is the key. The first simple attribute of a business object defaults to the key attribute. The connector does not support using an attribute that represents a child business object or an array of a child business objects as a key attribute. Therefore, if the BAPI provides only structure and table parameters, you must insert a simple attribute as the first attribute. SAPODA inserts the Dummy_key attribute as the first attribute, marks it as the key attribute, and sets appropriate values. Do not modify those values.
IsForeignKey SAPODA sets the value to false.
IsRequired Specifies whether an attribute must contain a value. SAPODA sets the value to false.
AppSpecificInfo Contains the name of the BAPI parameter that corresponds to the associated attribute. The format is:
IABAPFieldName:EABAPFieldName
 

For more information on the application-specific information, see "Business object application-specific information".

DefaultValue Specifies the value to assign to this attribute if there is no run-time value. SAPODA does not set a value for this property.

Table 35 lists and describes the attributes that represent a child or array of child business objects. SAPODA generates the properties described below.

Table 35. Properties of an attribute that represents a child or children

Property name Description
Name The value is the name of the structure or table parameter. The format is: BOprefix_BAPIParameterName.
Type The value is the type of child business object; in other words, the type is BOprefix_BAPIParameterName.
ContainedObjectVersion SAPODA sets the value to 1.0.0.
Relationship SAPODA sets the value to containment.
IsKey SAPODA sets the value to false.
IsForeignKey SAPODA sets the value to false.
IsRequired Specifies whether an attribute must contain a value. SAPODA sets the value to false.
AppSpecificInfo Contains the name of the BAPI parameter that corresponds to the associated attribute. The format is:
IBAPIParameterName:EBAPIParameterName
 

For more information on the application-specific information, see "AppSpecificInfo for attributes".

Cardinality BAPI structure parameters have single cardinality (1) and BAPI table parameters have multiple cardinality (n).
Important:
Simple attributes can have two special values: CxIgnore and CxBlank. When a business object is sent to the BAPI Module as a service call request and the business object has simple attributes set to CxIgnore or CxBlank, it is as if those attributes are invisible to the BAPI Module. However, the SAP application initializes such an attribute to its ABAP data type. The BAPI Module converts all returned blank values to CxIgnore.

Initializing attribute values

Every field in SAP has an initial value. When the connector receives a service call request, the BAPI-specific business object handler populates most of the BAPI interface parameters with the values listed in Table 36. The one exception is the character data type. The business object handler converts a CxIgnore in the business object attribute to a space in the SAP field. If you want any other value to be converted to CxIgnore, the component that creates the business object must perform the conversion. For example, when the WebSphere Inter Change Server is the integration broker, modify the map to handle this conversion.

Table 36 provides initial values set by the business object handler.

Table 36. Initial field values in SAP

Data type Description Initial value set by business object handler
C Character space
N Numeric string 000...
D Date (YYYMMDD) 00000000
T Time (HHMMSS) 000000
X Byte (hexadecimal) X00
I Integer 0
P Packed number 0
F Floating point number 0.0

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