SAP Data Services built in RFC Function Modules

[former_member211387]

The SAP interfaces from Data Services Version 4.2 contains the following function modules as part of the standard installation. Some of the function modules in SAP are not RFC enabled. Since Data services utilises the RFC option to call FM in SAP, these additional components will be of help.

To check if these function modules have been installed in the corresponding SAP client, these can be checked using standard SAP transaction codes for Function Modules. One transaction code that can be used for this purpose is SE37. On the SAP Client GUI screen enter the transaction code SE37. This will open the "Function Builder: Initial Screen". Enter the details as shown below in Fig 1.

The list of function modules that are available under /SAPDS are shown below in the screen

These function modules are part of the Data Services package and hence RFC enabled. These function modules perform the same action as the corresponding standard function module (where applicable). Below is the list of the 27 function modules that was listed in the repository.

Function Module	Description
/SAPDS/RS_BASIS	DataServices Base Functions
/SAPDS/ABAP_RUN	DataServices: Execute existing ABAP
/SAPDS/AUTH_IMPORT	DataServices: Import authorizations
/SAPDS/COLUMN_SEARCH	DataServices: column search
/SAPDS/DATA_PROFILE	DataServices: column profiling for data preview
/SAPDS/EXTRACTOR_IMPORT	DataServices: Import Extractor metadata
/SAPDS/EXTRACTOR_NAVIGATE	DataServices: Navigate through list of Extractors
/SAPDS/EXTRACTOR_SEARCH	DataServices: Search for an Extractor
/SAPDS/FILE_ROWCOUNT	DataServices: Set and get the total row count for the DS transported file
/SAPDS/FUNCTION_GET	DataServices: Get metadata of functions
/SAPDS/GET_VERSION	DataServices: Get versions of all functions
/SAPDS/IDOC_IMPORT	DataServices: Import IDOC metadata
/SAPDS/IDOC_SEARCH	DataServices: Search IDOC by name
/SAPDS/JOB_LOG	DataServices: Get the log of a background job
/SAPDS/JOB_RUN	DataServices: Run a DS ABAP in background
/SAPDS/JOB_STATUS	DataServices: Check the background job status
/SAPDS/READ_TEXT	DataServices: SAPScript: Read Text
/SAPDS/RFC_ABAP_INSTALL_RUN	DataServices: Enables to run DS generated abaps in development(!) systems
/SAPDS/RFC_READ_EXTRACTOR	DataServices: Read Extractor data
/SAPDS/RFC_READ_TABLE	DataServices: Read ABAP table data
/SAPDS/RFC_READ_TABLE2	DataServices: Read Table option 2
/SAPDS/RFC_READ_TABLE_FILE	DataServices: Read Table option 3
/SAPDS/RFC_STREAM_READ_TABLE	DataServices: Read table via streaming approach
/SAPDS/SYNTAX_CHECK	DataServices: Allow DS generated abap to by checked in dev(!)
/SAPDS/TABLE_IMPORT	DataServices: Get table metadata
/SAPDS/TABLE_SEARCH	DataServices: Search for a table by name
/SAPDS/TEXTS	DataServices: Get text entries
/SAPDS/UPLOAD	DataServices: Upload and install a DS generated ABAP in dev(!)

A very useful FM in this category is "/SAPDS/READ_TEXT". Retrieving the long text entries for SAP CRM objects using the READ_TEXT function module via BODS is not possible since READ_TEXT function module is not RFC enabled. However the "/SAPDS/READ_TEXT" is RFC enabled and performs the same task as the original READ_TEXT function module.