The focus of this book is on how organizations can use SAP R/3 intermediate documents (IDocs). IDocs are SAP’s file format to exchange data between two different R/3 systems, such as between two enterprises that wish to exchange data using electronic data interchange (EDI). The authors point out that there is a phantom “SAP standard” for IDocs, which does not actually exist in R/3. They contend that trying to follow this phantom standard would lead to much higher than necessary project costs. The book illustrates a strategy that can be used to effectively use SAP for managing the exchange of information between independent SAP systems.

The first focus of the book is on IDocs technology. IDocs terminology and basic tools, IDocs customizing, defining IDocs outbound triggering events, and IDocs recipes are among the topics that receive a good deal of attention.

The book also covers application link enabling (ALE). ALE is an R/3 technology that is built on top of the IDocs engine. ALE automatically distributes and replicates data between mutually trusted systems. ALE defines the logic and triggering events for how and when IDocs are exchanged between those trusted systems.

The batch input (BTCI) recorder section discusses how to create data input programs without creating new transactions. This is important for easily managing inbound IDocs.

The target audience of this book is very clear: R/3 implementation team developers and decision makers who must interface their R/3 systems with other R/3 systems, including satellite and legacy systems, as well as with EDI partners. The book is not meant to be read cover to cover, but rather to serve as an answer book to frequently asked questions for experienced developers. Toward this end, the book is very clearly formatted, with each question or short topic clearly laid out, and with highlighting and other techniques used to ensure that the reader can easily follow the discussion. Often included are code routines that can save the developer a considerable amount of time, not only in writing them, but also in insuring that the right function is executed as it should be.

The English translation is slightly awkward at times, but, strangely enough, this is good, because the English-speaking reader, by being forced to think a little more about what was said, can gain a slightly different perspective. The book is highly recommended for its target audience, but any information technology (IT) applications developer could benefit from scanning it, for nuggets of wisdom that apply to all development projects, not just SAP R/3 systems.