Basic SAP Data Types

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The parameter types that the Microsoft BizTalk Adapter 3.0 for mySAP Business Suite supports are governed by the:

ABAP data types that SAP supports
Database data types that SAP supports

This section presents a mapping between the ABAP and database data types, and their corresponding .NET and XML schema types.

Note
The information in this section applies to RFCs, tRFCs, and BAPIs. SAP data types are always represented as strings (xsd:string) in IDOCs. This is to support the BizTalk Server flat file parser.

Supported ABAP Data Types

The Microsoft BizTalk Adapter 3.0 for mySAP Business Suite supports safe typing for some ABAP data types. When safe typing is enabled, these data types are represented as strings. You configure safe typing by setting the EnableSafeTyping binding property. Safe typing is disabled by default. For more information about the SAP adapter binding properties, see Working with BizTalk Adapter 3.0 for mySAP Business Suite Binding Properties.

The following table shows how the ABAP data types are surfaced when safe typing is not enabled. (EnableSafeTyping is false). Data types that are surfaced differently when safe typing is enabled are marked with an asterisk (*).

ABAP Data Type	RFC Type	XSD type	.NET type	Format string
I (Integer)	RFC_INT	xsd:int	Int32	-
Internal (RFC_INT1)	RFC_INT1	xsd:unsignedByte	Byte	-
Internal (RFC_INT2)	RFC_INT2	xsd:short	Int16	-
F (Float)	RFC_FLOAT	xsd:double	Double	-
P (BCD number)	RFC_BCD	xsd:decimal if length <= 28 xsd:string if length > 28	Decimal String	Decimal number. with 0 decimal places Decimal number. with >0 decimal places
C (Character)	RFC_CHAR	xsd:string	String	-
D (Date: YYYYMMDD)*	RFC_DATE	xsd:dateTime	DateTime	Internally, the adapter deserializes the value into a DateTime object. It then invokes theDateTime.ToUniversalTime method to convert the value of this object to UTC. Finally the date component (DateTime.Date) is used to create the value that is sent to the SAP system. The SAP system treats this date value as local time. You should specify date values as UTC to avoid conversion. For xsd:dateTime, the following pattern is recommended: "(\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d)T(00:00:00)(.)Z". For DateTime objects set DateTime.Kind* to DateTimeKind.Utc.
T (Time: HHMMSS)*	RFC_TIME	xsd:dateTime	DateTime	Internally, the adapter deserializes the value into a DateTime object. It then invokes theDateTime.ToUniversalTime method to convert the value of this object to UTC. Finally the time component (DateTime.Time) is used to create the value that is sent to the SAP system. The SAP system treats this time value as local time. You should specify time values as UTC to avoid conversion. For xsd:dateTime, the following pattern is recommended: "(0001-01-01)T(\d\d:\d\d:\d\d)(.)". For DateTime objects set DateTime.Kind* to DateTimeKind.Utc. For example, if your local time is 9:15 am, express this as "(001-01-01)T(09:15:00)Z"
N (Numeric string)*	RFC_NUM	xsd:int if lenrth <= 9 xsd:long if length > 9 and <= 19 xsd:string if length > 19	Int32 long String	-
X (Byte)	RFC_BYTE	xsd:base64Binary	Byte[]	-
STRING	RFC_STRING	xsd:string	String	-
XSTRING	RFC_BYTE	xsd:base64Binary	Byte[]	-

*Indicates that the data type is surfaced differently when safe typing is enabled.

Safe Typing Enabled

The following table shows the ABAP data types that are surfaced differently when safe typing is enabled (the EnableSafeTyping binding property is true).

ABAP Data Type	RFC Type	XSD type	.NET type	Format string
D (Date: YYYYMMDD)	RFC_DATE	xsd:string	String	SAP date format: YYYYMMDD. Characters are allowed for date digits, so the value is essentially an eight character string
T (Time: HHMMSS)	RFC_TIME	xsd:string	String	SAP time format: HHMMSS. Characters are allowed for time digits, so the value is essentially a six character string
N (Numeric string)	RFC_NUM	xsd:string	String	An n character string; where n = length of the numc field.

ABAP Data Type

RFC Type

XSD type

.NET type

Format string

D (Date: YYYYMMDD)

RFC_DATE

xsd:string

String

SAP date format: YYYYMMDD.

Characters are allowed for date digits, so the value is essentially an eight character string

T (Time: HHMMSS)

RFC_TIME

xsd:string

String

SAP time format: HHMMSS.

Characters are allowed for time digits, so the value is essentially a six character string

N (Numeric string)

RFC_NUM

xsd:string

String

An n character string; where n = length of the numc field.

ABAP data types that are not in this table are surfaced in the same way as when safe typing is not enabled.

Support for Date and Time Fields

When safe typing is not enabled, ABAP Date (D) and Time (T) types are surfaced as xsd:dateTime; however, the pattern facet surfaced for the Date and Time types is different.

The pattern facet for Date is: (\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d)T(00:00:00)(.*)

For example, July 7, 2007 (2007-07-07) is represented as:

(2007-07-07)T(00:00:00).
The pattern facet for Time is: (0001-01-01)T(\d\d:\d\d:\d\d)(.*)
For example, 18:30:30 (6:30 pm and 30 seconds) is represented as:

(0001-01-01)T(18:30:30).

How does the Adapter Represent Minimum and Maximum Time Values on Inbound Messages (from SAP)?

The SAP adapter uses the following guidelines when it receives time values from the SAP system:

The adapter treats 000000 (hhmmss) and 240000 (hhmmss) as 0 hours, 0 mins, and 0 seconds.

Supported Database Data Types

The way in which the Microsoft BizTalk Adapter 3.0 for mySAP Business Suite surfaces database data types also depends on whether safe typing is enabled. The following table shows how the adapter surfaces database data types when safe typing is not enabled (the EnableSafeTyping binding property is false). Data types that are surfaced differently when safe typing is enabled are marked with an asterisk (*).

Database Data Type	RFC Type	XSD	.NET Type
ACCP (Posting Period)*	RFC_NUM	xsd:int	Int32
CHAR	RFC_CHAR	xsd:string	String
CLNT (Client)	RFC_CHAR	xsd:string	String
CURR (Currency field)	RFC_BCD	xsd:decimal Note The SAP adapter rounds off the decimal values based on the definition of the DECIMAL parameter. For example, if a DECIMAL parameter can accept up to five digits after the decimal point, a value such as 4.000028 is rounded off to 4.00003.	Decimal
CUKY (Currency Key)	RFC_CHAR	xsd:string	String
DATS (Date field)*	RFC_DATE	xsd:dateTime Internally, the adapter deserializes the value into a DateTime object. It then invokes theDateTime.ToUniversalTime method to convert the value of this object to UTC. Finally the date component (DateTime.Date) is used to create the value that is sent to the SAP system. The SAP system treats this date value as local time. You should specify date values as UTC to avoid conversion. The following pattern is recommended: "(\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d)T(00:00:00)(.*)Z".	DateTime You should specify date values as UTC (DateTime.Kind = DateTimeKind.Utc) to avoid conversion.
DEC (Amount)	RFC_BCD	xsd:decimal Note The SAP adapter rounds off the decimal values based on the definition of the DECIMAL parameter. For example, if a DECIMAL parameter can accept up to five digits after the decimal point, a value such as 4.000028 is rounded off to 4.00003.	Decimal
FLTP (Floating point)	RFC_FLOAT	xsd:double	Double
INT1	RFC_INT1	xsd:unsignedbyte	Byte
INT2	RFC_INT2	xsd:short	Int16
INT4	RFC_INT	xsd:int	Int32
LANG (Language Key)	RFC_CHAR	xsd:string	String
LCHR	RFC_STRING	xsd:string	String
LRAW (long byte seq)	RFC_BYTE	xsd:base64binary	Byte[]
NUMC*	RFC_NUM	xsd:int xsd:long xsd:string	Int32 if length <=9 Int64 if length >9 and <=19 String if length > 19
PREC (Accuracy)	RFC_INT2	xsd:short	Int16
QUAN (Quantity)	RFC_BCD	xsd:decimal Note The SAP adapter rounds off the decimal values based on the definition of the DECIMAL parameter. For example, if a DECIMAL parameter can accept up to five digits after the decimal point, a value such as 4.000028 is rounded off to 4.00003.	Decimal
RAW (byte sequence)	RFC_BYTE	xsd:base64binary	Byte[]
RAWSTRING (variable length)	RFC_BYTE	xsd:base64binary	Byte[]
STRING (variable length)	RFC_STRING	xsd:string	String
TIMS (Time field)*	RFC_TIME	xsd:datetime Internally, the adapter deserializes the value into a DateTime object. It then invokes theDateTime.ToUniversalTime method to convert the value of this object to UTC. Finally the time component (DateTime.Time) is used to create the value that is sent to the SAP system. The SAP system treats this time value as local time. You should specify time values as UTC to avoid conversion. The following pattern is recommended: "(0001-01-01)T(\d\d:\d\d:\d\d)(.*)Z". For example, if your local time is 9:15 am, express this as "(001-01-01)T(09:15:00)Z"	DateTime You should specify time values as UTC (DateTime.Kind = DateTimeKind.Utc) to avoid conversion.
UNIT (Unit for Qty)	RFC_CHAR	xsd:string	String
[Unsupported]	--	--	String

*Indicates that the adapter surfaces the data type differently when safe typing is enabled.

Safe Typing Enabled

The following table shows the database data types that are surfaced differently when safe typing is enabled (the EnableSafeTyping binding property is true).

Database Data Type	RFC Type	XSD	.NET type	String Value Format
ACCP (Posting Period)	RFC_NUM	xsd:string	String	Character string
NUMC	RFC_NUM	xsd:string	String	Character string
DATS (Date field)	RFC_DATE	xsd:string	String	YYYYMMDD
TIMS (Time field)	RFC_TIME	xsd:string	String	HHMMSS

Data types that are not in this table are surfaced in the same way as when safe typing is not enabled.

Supported XSD Facets

The SAP adapter supports the following XSD facets.

RFC Type	XSD Facet (EnableSafeTyping = false)	XSD Facet (EnableSafeTyping = true)
RFC_BCD	XSD pattern facet Zero decimal places: `"([\\-]{0,1})(([0-9]{1,"` `+ digitsBeforeDecimal +` `"}))"` One or more decimal places: `"([\\-]{0,1})(([0-9]{0,"` + `digitsBeforeDecimal +` `"}\\.[0-9]{0,"` `+ digitsAfterDecimal +` `"})\|([0-9]{1,"` `+ digitsBeforeDecimal +` `"}))"`	same
RFC_NUM	XSD totalDigits facet if length <=19 XSD pattern facet if length > 19	XSD maxLength facet (depends on the length of the value on SAP)
RFC_DATE	XSD pattern facet `"(\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d)T(00:00:00)(.*)"` Pattern contains time 00:00:00 to be compatible with `xsd:datetime`	XSD maxLength facet = 8
RFC_TIME	XSD pattern facet `"(0001-01-01)T(\d\d:\d\d:\d\d)(.*)"` Pattern contains date 0001-01-01 to be compatible with `xsd:datetime`	XSD maxLength facet = 6
RFC_CHAR	XSD maxLength facet	same