Glossary for SAP Practice

EAS - Enterprise Application Solutions SAP - Name of the company, SAP AG. (Systems Applications Products in Data Processing) R/3 - Product offering from SAP, stands for Real-time / 3 - Tier architecture RICE - The types of ABAP developments popularly called as RICE Objects: R - Reports I - Interfaces C - Conversions E - Enhancements Onsite/Onshore - Being at Customers site (from Customers perspective) Offshore - India Development Center ABAP - Advanced Business Application Programming. Programming language developed by SAP for application development purposes. All R/3 applications are written in ABAP ABAP Dictionary - Central and redundancy-free storage facility for all data in the R/3 System. The ABAP Dictionary describes the logical structure of application development objects and their representation in the structures of the underlying relational database. All runtime environment components such as application programs or the database interface get information about these objects directly from the ABAP Dictionary. The ABAP Dictionary is an active data dictionary and is fully integrated in the ABAP Workbench. ABAP Editor - Program editor in the ABAP Workbench. You use the ABAP Editor to develop and maintain ABAP programs, function modules, screen flow logic, and logical databases. Besides normal text operations such as insert, search, and replace, the ABAP Editor offers several special functions to support program development. ABAP Event - An event within ABAP, which contains an internal event with a standard event code and event parameters. ABAP Keyword - First word in an ABAP statement. The keyword determines the meaning of the entire statement. There are four different ABAP keyword types: Declarative keywords, Event keywords, Control keywords, Operational keywords. ABAP List Viewer - Tool used for uniform display and creation of lists in the R/3 System. ABAP Memory - Area of memory assigned to a particular transaction and any modules called from there. ABAP memory does not depend on the ABAP program that generates it during a transaction. This means that any object stored there can be read by any ABAP program during the same transaction. In contrast to ABAP memory, which exists only for the life of one transaction, there is also global SAP memory, which extends beyond transaction limits. ABAP Native SQL - Database language that allows you to include database-specific SQL statements in an ABAP program. To enable the execution of ABAP Native SQL statements in ABAP programs, you use the statement EXEC. Most ABAP programs containing database-specific SQL statements do not run with different databases. If programs are meant to run against various databases, you should use ABAP Open SQL. ABAP Open SQL - Subset of standard SQL statements. To avoid conflicts between database tables and to keep ABAP programs independent from the database system used, SAP has

generated its own set of SQL statements known as Open SQL. Using Open SQL allows you to access all database tables available in the R/3 System, regardless of the manufacturer. ABAP Objects - Object-oriented enhancement of the ABAP programming language. ABAP Objects allows you to apply the principles of object-oriented programming in ABAP by using concepts like encapsulation, inheritance, classes and interfaces. ALE - Application Link Enabling. Means of creating and operating distributed applications. The purpose of Application Line Enabling is to guarantee a distributed, but integrated, R/3 installation. This involves business-controlled message exchange using consistent data across loosely linked SAP applications. Applications are integrated using synchronous and asynchronous communication and not using a central database. ASAP - Accelerated SAP. (Implementation methodology for SAP) APO - Advanced Planner & Optimizer BAPI - Business Application Programming Interface. Standard R/3 interface that enables you to integrate third-party software into the R/3 System. Business Application Programming Interfaces (BAPIs) are defined in the Business Object Repository (BOR) as methods applied to SAP business objects, in order to perform specific business tasks. BAPIs are implemented and stored in the R/3 System as RFC-enabled function modules in the Function Builder of the ABAP Workbench. AR - Accounts Receivable AP - Accounts Payable AM - Asset Management Module of SAP BDC - Batch Data Communication Bdoc - Business Document. A document that contains information on changes made to business objects. BDocs are used for data exchange and data processing within a CRM System environment BW - Business Information Warehouse Business Area - A unit in an enterprise, grouping product and market combinations as homogeneously as possible for the purpose of developing unified business policy. BPP - Business Process Procedure. A template in Microsoft Word format that provides the initial definition for developing end user procedures and training documentation. The final Business Process Procedures (BPPs) are developed during the Realization phase using the Business Process Master List, in which one BPP represents one R/3 transaction. CATT - Computer Aided Test Tool. Universal SAP test tool. The Computer Aided Test Tool (CATT) allows you to combine and automate business processes as repeatable test procedures. CCMS - Computer Center Management System. Database for storing data about R/3 Systems and other components in amySAP.com IT landscape. The CCMS system repository is a key component of the CCMS central system management infrastructure. The CCMS system repository: Provides information storage for functions that operate across R/3 System and component boundaries. For example, some kinds of URL generation for mySAP.com use data from the repository to map generic URLSs into URLs specific to your IT landscape.

Supports central maintenance of certain types of R/3 objects. For example, you can maintain system groups for the CCMS alert monitor and monitoring architecture in a single central system. The system repository distributes the system groups to other systems in your IT landscape. The prerequisite for this distribution is that the other systems have registered their repositories with the central system.

CO - Controlling Module of SAP Company Code - The smallest organizational unit for which a complete self-contained set of accounts can be drawn up for purposes of external reporting. The includes the recording all relevant transactions and generating all supporting documents required for financial statements. Client - In commercial, organizational and technical terms, a self-contained unit in an R/3 System with separate master records and its own set of tables. Customizing - Tool for carrying out all activities necessary for the initial configuration of the SAP System before going into production the adjustment of the system in production the implementation of additional SAP applications Customizing consists of two components, which can be used alternatively: the implementation guides the customizing menus

Customizing is not a tool for changing the coding. Dunning - The process of customer and internal notifications to ensure collection of unpaid bills. EDI - Electronic Data Interchange. Electronic exchange of structured data, such as business documents, between domestic and international business partners that use different hardware, software and communication services. For this purpose, the data involved is formatted according to predefined standards. EB - Enterprise Buyer. FI - Financial Accounting FIFO - First In First Out . The principal used in the allocation run of assigning existing stocks to requirements. If there is not enough stock to fulfill all the requirements of all customers, the assignment of the stocks takes place corresponding to the time sequence in which the requirements occured. As long as you have not specified your own sort sequence, the system first fulfills the requirements of orders that were placed at the beginning of the allocation time period. Form - Describes the basic structure and content of report lists. A form can be seen as a semifinished report, which is completed when you select the characteristics and indicators during report definition. G/L - General Ledger

GUI - Graphical User Interface Hierarchy - Controlling (CO) A hierarchical structure of objects (for example, cost centers, orders, groups, WSB elements) Hierarchies (for example, cost center hierarchies) have the following characteristics: All nodes other than end nodes are used purely for summarization purposes. The values being structured (for example, the individual cost centers) are called single values and can only be assigned to the end nodes (in other words, at the lowest level of the hierarchy). Hit - Item on a computer-generated list of items satisfying database search criteria. Hot Package - Hot Packages (HOT) contain corrections for errors in the R/3 Repository and in ABAP Dictionary objects. These corrections are collected periodically in Hot Packages and made available in OCS. IDoc - Intermediate Document. Intermediate document (IDoc) container for exchanging data between R/3, R/2 and non-SAP systems. ALE uses IDocs to exchange data between logical systems. Non-SAP systems can use IDocs as the standard interface for data transfer. IDocs are created when message types and (object) methods are distributed. The message type is the format in which the data for a specific business process is transferred. IDES - Internet Demonstration and Evaluation System. System that contains several sample companies typifying relevant business processes. It is simple to use and has a variety of master and transaction data, and is used for demos, online/classroom training, and presentations. Potential customers use IDES to trial and test software via Internet. IMG - Implementation Guide ITS - Internet Transaction Server JIT - Just In Time Key Field - Field which is part of a key that uniquely identifies the entry in a table. The key fields form the standard key. LIFO - last in, first out. Valuation procedure according to which the stocks of a material that were last received are the first to be used or sold. Line Item - Financial Accounting (FI) The part of a document containing information on a single item. It always includes an amount, an account number, the assignment to debits or credits and further specifications which depend on the business transactions to be posted. LUW - Logical Unit of Work. Inseparable sequence of database operations that must be executed either in its entirety or not at all. From the point of view of a database system, this sequence constitutes a unit that plays an important role in ensuring data integrity. Master Data - ABAP Workbench (BC-DWB) Data that remains the same over a long period of time Master data contains information that is needed often and in the same form. Examples: The master data of a cost center contains the name of the cost center, the person responsible for the cost center, the corresponding hierarchy area, and so on.

The master data of a vendor contains the name, address, and bank information for the vendor. The master data of a user in the SAP System contains the user's authorizations in the system, the name of their default printer, their start transaction, and other information.

Metadata - Data that describes other data. Metadata comprises data definitions that are normally stored in a data dictionary. MAP - Moving Average Price. Price that changes in consequence of goods movements and the entry of invoices, and which is used to valuate a material. The moving average price is calculated by dividing the value of the material by the quantity of material in stock. It is recalculated automatically by the system after each goods movement or invoice entry. MRP - Material Requirements Planning (PP-MRP) Generic term for procedures in materials planning that take into account and plan every future requirement during the creation of procurement proposals (independent requirements, dependent requirements, and so on). MiniApp - Application, information, or service that can be visualized in a Web browser frame. MiniApps satisfy the primary information needs of users and provide frequently used functions Number Range - General Application Functions (CA-GTF). Range of numbers that you can assign to business objects - or their sub-objects - of the same type. Examples of such objects are business partners, G/L accounts, orders, posting documents and materials. Each number range has one or more number range intervals and a number assignment type. There are two types of number assignment: Internal

When storing a data record, the R/3 System automatically assigns a sequential number, which lies in the relevant number range interval. External

In this case, the number is assigned by the user or by an external system, both of whom must ensure that the number lies in the relevant number range interval. Organization - Theme category in Manager's Desktop. A link on the initial screen of the application leads to an Organization screen, where functions with related content are displayed. Packed Number - Numeric data type. PAI - Process After Input. Block of code processed after a screen has been displayed. PBO - Process Before Output. Block of code processed after a screen is called but before it is actually displayed. Partner - Sales and Distribution (SD). An individual within or outside of your own organization who is of commercial interest and who can be contacted in the course of a business transaction. A partner can be a natural person or a legal entity. Examples of partners within an organization are sales personnel. Examples of parters outside of the organization are: Customers

Sales prospects Contact persons

Plant - Logistics - General (LO). Organizational unit within Logistics, serving to subdivide an enterprise according to production, procurement, maintenance, and materials planning. A plant is a place where either materials are produced, or goods and services are provided. Profile Generator - Tool for generating authorization profiles in role maintenance. You use the Profile Generator to generate authorization profiles based on the activities in a role. Quick Sizer - The Quick Sizing Tool, or Quick Sizer calculates CPU, disk and memory resource categories based on the number of users working with the different components of the R/3 System in a hardware and database independent format. The tool intends to give customers an idea of the system size necessary to run the required workload, and therefore provides input for initial budget planning. It also offers the possibility of transactional/quantity-based sizing, therefore enabling customers to include their batch load in the sizing as well. RFC - Remote Function Call. RFC is an SAP interface protocol. Based on CPI-C, it considerably simplifies the programming of communication processes between systems. RFCs enable you to call and execute predefined functions in a remote system - or even in the same system. RFCs manage the communication process, parameter transfer and error handling. SD - Sales & Distribution module of SAP SNA - Systems Network Architecture. A widely used communications framework developed by IBM to define network functions and establish standards for enabling its different models of computer to exchange and process data. SNA is essentially a design philosophy that separates network communications into five layers. Subscreen - Part of another screen. To create a subscreen, you define an area of appropriate size in the main screen and place a call to the subscreen in the flow logic. A screen can have several subscreens in different areas. Calls can also be dynamic, so you do not have to specify which subscreen is to be used until runtime. A subscreen can be called by several main screens, but a subscreen cannot call other subscreens. Transaction Code - ABAP Workbench (BC-DWB) Sequence of characters that identifies a transaction in the R/3 System. A transaction code can contain up to 20 characters and should always begin with a letter. Permitted characters are letters from A to Z, numbers from 0 to 9, and the underscore. To call a transaction, you enter the transaction code in the command field and press ENTER. WBS - Work Breakdown Structure Wgate - Component of the Internet Transaction Server (ITS). The WGate (Web gateway) links the ITS to the Web server. It receives requests from the Web browser through the Web server and forwards them to the AGate (application gateway) through TCP/IP. The WGate resides on the same machine as the Web server. There, it acts as a Web server extension and shields the AGate from differences in the various Web server APIs. The WGate supports Web servers such as Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS) and Netscape's Enterprise Server (NES). All other Web server APIs are supported through the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). WYSIWYG - What you see is what you get. WYSIWYG application enable the user to see on the display screen exactly what will appear when the document is printed.