Direct Input Method:
These are standard SAP programs which are used to update / upload the data from flat file into SAP
we rarely use direct input programs in the real time, because of below limitations.
The file structure should be created as per the structure of an standard internal table declared in the standard program.
Here, we can’t catch all types of errors because direct input programs works directly on open SQL statements, where as call transaction and session method uses ‘Screen level processing’ (data is transferred through the screens) where we can catch all type of errors.
‘RMDATIND’ is a standard direct input program for uploading material master data.
LSMW (Legacy System Migration Workbench):
It is a SAP tool which is used to transfer the data from legacy system to SAP. It is mainly used to transfer very less amount of data. (<5000)
LSMW contains very little coding. It is mainly designed for consultants who doesn’t have any programming language. i.e. functional consultants.
There are 4 methods available in LSMW.
direct input method
recording method
BAPI method
ALE/IDOC method.
Difference between LSMW and BDC:
LSMW is a more user friendly tool, through which one can do the same work as the BDC. One just has to follow the 14 steps.
BDC is basically a program which is either generated by SAP after a recording or programmed by a abaper. It’s like running the transaction manually but all the data is populated in the screens automatically.
LSMW provides various methods for migration of data, namely those of direct input, batch input recording and IDOC. BDC however simply makes use of recording. There are 2 ways of implementing BDC, the call transaction method and the session method.
In LSMW, mapping is taken care of with the help of SAP, where as in BDC one has to provide explicit mapping directions.
In BDC, we can schedule the job, so the uploading can be done at the same time or later periodically while in LSMW. It has to be done at once only. So through LSMW, one can’t upload large amount of data. Hence we use LSMW for updating or inserting below 5000 records and we use BDC to upload records more than 5000.
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