Some thing about info types

Infotypes:
The information units used to enter the data of an employee are called Infotypes.
The Infotypes are used to group related data fields together.
Examples
0002 -Personal data-->This infptype contains data like first name,last name,DOB,maritial status...etc
0006 - Address---> it contains data like, street,city,region.district and telephone numbers where employess residing or working.
0009 - Bank details --> It contains data like bank name,account number..etc of an employee.

why Infotype :
As HR is related to time, we require old data as well as new data. The data we enter into the Infotypes are automatically checked for accuracy and against the table entries. In simple, HR data is huge and to access data easily we require Infotype.
for example: In the above said info types, in 0002 an employee may change his name or marital status may change or any other personnel data may get changed, then it is very important to save old data with correct time frame along with the changed data.

let us suppose if an employee personnel data record exists from 01/01/2000 t0 31/12/9999( this is the max date we consider when there is no end date is given) . if he changes his personnel data on 01/01/2008 then a new record Will be created from 01/01/2008 to 31/12/9999 and the old record Will get delimited to 01/01/2000 to 31/12/2007. so here we have two records for the same employee in the same info type but with the different dates.

Moving on further about infotypes we have to know about time constraints and subtypes.

A time constraint indicates whether more than one Infotype record may be available at one time. When you update an infotype, old data is not lost but archived for historical evaluation. The system records a specific period of validity for each infotype, This enables the system to store more than one infotype record at the same time, even if their validity periods overlap. This means that the time relationships between infotype records must be defined. The concept of time constraints enables you to do this.

There are seven different types of time constraints avilable.

Time Constraint 1:
For the entire time that the employee works at the enterprise, exactly one valid infotype record must exist. The validity periods of the individual records must not overlap. If a new record is created, the system automatically uses the start date of the new record as the delimitation date of the old record. Gaps are only allowed between the employee’s entry date and the start date of the first record.

Time constraint 1 must be used for all of the infotypes containing information that must be available at all times. This is particularly true of personal and organizational assignment data.
If a record is delimited because of time constraint 1, the system displays an appropriate message. Eg:0000-Actions,0001-orgassignent..etc.

Time Constraint 2
No more than one valid record can exist at any one time. Records with constraint 2 must not overlap. Their existence is not obligatory. If a new record is created, the system automatically delimits the previous record, if one exists.
If a record is delimited because of time constraint 2, the system displays an appropriate message. Eg-0023-previous employee.

Time Constraint 3
Any number of valid records can exist at any one time. The individual records do not conflict with each other. Eg0105-comunications.

Time Constraint A
Infotypes with time constraint A must have no more than one record. The system automatically assigns the record a validity period from January 01, 1800 through December 31, 9999. This validity period cannot be subdivided.
Infotype records with time constraint A cannot be deleted.Eg:0003 -payrollstatus

Time constraint B
Infotypes with time constraint B must have no more than one record. The system automatically assigns the record a validity period from January 01, 1800 through December 31, 9999. This validity period cannot be subdivided.
Infotype records with time constraint B can be deleted.Eg

Time Constraint T
Infotype records with time constraint T depend on the subtype.

Subtype:-subtype is a sub category of an info type based on the type of data. for example IT0006 is for addresses and it has many subtypes 1,2,3 and so on for each type of addresses like home address ,work address...etc.
Time Constraint z.
Z: Refers to time management Infotypes. The time constraint for these Infotypes depends on the time constraint class defined in view V_T554S_I Absence: General Control. Collision checks are defined in view V_T554Y Time Constraint Reaction
The principles of data entry and time constraints that apply to infotypes ensure that data is consistent and accurate. They also constitute the basis of time recording, payroll accounting, and reporting.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_di471/helpdata/EN/48/35c9f24abf11d18a0f0000e816ae6e/frameset.htm

Operation that can be performed on infotypes.

Create
Delimit
Change
Delete
Lock/unlock
display

Infotypes range
0000 – 0999 -> Personal Administration
1000 – 1999 -> Org Management
2000 – 2999 -> Time data
4000 – 4999 -> Applicant Data
9000 – 9999 -> Customer Name space

Apart from org management infotypes all other infotypes can accessed from T-codes PA30 for create and change and PA20 for display and OM infotypes can be accessed from T-Codes PPOME for change,PPOCE for create and PPOSE for display.

Moving on to structures and tables that are associated to each info type.

Each PA info type XXXX requires two structures and one table.

Structures PSXXXX and PXXXX (Eg: For IT0001 containstwo structures PS0001 and p0001)

PSXXXX-> is a structure which contains only info type fields (for example for IT0001 fields like BUKRS,WERKS,PERSG,PERSK..etc will be available.)

PXXXX-> is a combination of structres PSKEY,PSHD1,PSXXX,CI_PXXXX(optional).

PSKEY:- it is a PA info type comman Key fields structurethe same structure is used for all PA info types as key.bleow are the fields fields of this structure.

PERNR-> PersonnelNumber

INFTY-> Infotype

SUBTY ->Subtype

OBJPS ->Object Identification

SPRPS-> Lock Indicator for HR Master Data Record

ENDDA ->End DateBEGDA

BEGDA ->Start Date

SEQNR ->Number of Infotype Record with Same Key

PSHD1-> is a structure with Control Fields like "changed on, Name of the person who changed..etc it contains 15 fields all are related to control data. This is also comman to all PA info types.

CI_Pxxxx-> Is an optional structure which indicates whether that particular info type can be enhanced or not, if you enhance info type with new fields those fields will be saved under this structure. (Eg:-for IT0001 ->CI_P0001)

Tables:-PAXXXX and PBXXXX(optional).

PAXXXX-> Is a transparent table which includes structures PSKEY,PSHD1,PSXXX,CI_PXXXX(optional) and MANDT field. the structure of this table resumbles same like PXXXX.

PBXXXX-> Is also a transparent table and resumbles same as PAXXXX table. This table stores only APPLICANT DATA which means not employees data, for example data of the candidates who applied for the organisation are stored. This table is optional and it may or may not exist for info type.

Coming to OM info types XXXX each infotype has one table and one structure.

Table:HRPXXXX,Structure PXXXX (for example IT10001 table is HRP1001, P1001)

Infotype screens
An initial screen
Single screen
List screen
Infotype includes
MPXXXX00 – Main program
MPXXXX10 – Declarations and includes
MPXXXX20 – PBO for the screen
MPXXXX30 – PAI for the screen
MPXXXX40 – Subroutines