Calling external programs using SAP connector

Yes, it is possible to address or call an external program using SAP connector SDK. From ABAP, you can reference external programs by SAP's RFC (Remote Function Call) protocol.

RFC protocol enables communication between SAP systems and external applications, allowing seamless integration and data exchange across different platforms and programming languages.

There are various SAP connectors available for different programming languages. Few of them are ?

• JCo is the SAP Java connector
• NCo is the .NET SAP connector
• NW RFC SDK is the SAP NetWeaver RFC SDK for C/C++

Basic ABAP RFC Call Example

Here's a simple example of how to call an external program from ABAP using RFC ?

DATA: lv_destination TYPE rfcdes-rfcdest VALUE 'MY_RFC_DEST'.

CALL FUNCTION 'Z_EXTERNAL_FUNCTION'
  DESTINATION lv_destination
  EXPORTING
    iv_input_param = 'Sample Input'
  IMPORTING
    ev_output_param = lv_result
  EXCEPTIONS
    system_failure = 1
    communication_failure = 2.

IF sy-subrc = 0.
  WRITE: 'External program called successfully'.
ELSE.
  WRITE: 'Error calling external program'.
ENDIF.

Java Connector (JCo) Example

Using JCo to connect to SAP from Java applications ?

JCoDestination destination = JCoDestinationManager.getDestination("ABAP_AS");
JCoFunction function = destination.getRepository().getFunction("Z_MY_FUNCTION");

function.getImportParameterList().setValue("INPUT_PARAM", "test_value");
function.execute(destination);

String result = function.getExportParameterList().getString("OUTPUT_PARAM");

This approach enables bidirectional communication between SAP systems and external applications, making it essential for enterprise integration scenarios.

Conclusion

SAP connectors provide powerful capabilities for integrating external programs with SAP systems through RFC protocol. These connectors support multiple programming languages, enabling flexible and robust enterprise application integration.