Business object application-specific information

Application-specific information in business object definitions provides the RFC Server 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 server verb of the top-level business object

The connector uses the value of the Server verb's application-specific information in the top-level business object to call the appropriate RFC Server-specific business object handler and to determine the destination collaboration for event processing. The value of the AppSpecificInfo property for the Server verb specifies:

The format is as follows:

AppSpecificInfo = bapi.server.BOHandler;Collab=CollaborationName
 

where BOHandler is the name of the class and CollaborationName is the name of the destination collaboration.

SAPODA automatically adds the application-specific information for the Server verb in top-level business object. For the value of the business object handler's classname, it uses the name of the RFC-enabled function. It does not provide a value for the collaboration name parameter. Therefore, you must manually add the name of the collaboration.

Note:
There is a one-to-one relationship between the WebSphere business object for SAP and the RFC Server-specific business object handler. The business object handler class files must exist in the \connectors\SAP\bapi\server directory.
Important:
You must include the value server before the business object handler name to identify that the RFC Server-specific business object handler acts as a server.

For example if you are supporting the BAPI_PO_CREATE RFC-enabled function and the destination collaboration is called POCollab, then the verb application-specific information is as follows:

AppSpecificInfo =bapi.server.Bapi_po_create;Collab=POCollab 
 

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 RFC-enabled function, 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 29 illustrates the mapping between a business object and an example RFC-enabled function 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) maps to an exporting structure parameter. The attribute that represents an array of child business objects (Child_2) maps to a table parameter.

Each child business object has a simple attribute that maps 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 29. Mapping between a business object and an example BAPI


Table 44 identifies the format of the application-specific information for specific kinds of attributes.

Table 44. 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 your business object definition. It is recommended that you do not change the parameter names of the generated application-specific information.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2003, 2004