BAPI_BIDEC_CREATE - Bid Invitation Create - External System

Question

There appears to be a SRM function and BAPI that can be used to create Bid invitation programmatically.  They are:  BBP_PD_BID_CREATE and BAPI_BIDEC_CREATE. 
Questions :
1.  Is the BAPI_BIDEC_CREATE used if creating Bid Invitations from an external systems (i.e. ECC 5.0)?     
2.  If BAPI_BIDEC_CREATE is not for this purpose, is BBP_PD_BID_CREATE the correct one to use?
3.  For both BAPI_BIDEC_CREATE and BBP_PD_BID_CREATE when creating a Bid Invitation (the GUIDs are not yet created) the Item Long Text structure does not have item number included.  It has the Item GUID but during a create you donu2019t know what it is.    Is the following the correct process for using this BAPI/function and if not, please correct?
Create the Bid Invitation:
     1.  Call BAPI_BIDEC_CREATE   (do not provide the item long text or delivery schedule information)
     2.  Call BBPU_COMMIT_AND_WAIT
Call the BAPI again with the GUIs returned in the E_ structures to update item long text and delivery schedules:
     3.   Call BAPI_BIDEC_CREATE    with known GUIs for the items or is there a different function to call for the change to add additional long texts to each item
     4.  Call BBPU_COMMIT_AND_WAIT

Answer 1

Requirement has probably long gone and potentially you've resolved the problem but for the benefit of others;
In order to differentiate between Header and Item data within structure I_BID_TEXT you need to use field PARENT_GUID. The value here is not necessarily the parent of the BID Invitation but the parent of the text i.e. header or item.
for example;
I_BID_HEADER_CUST
PARENT_GUID
DF1203499AF874F1AB76000D6098290C
I_BID_ITEMS
ITEM_GUID.............................................PARENT_GUID......................................ITEM_NUMBER
DF12037B3803EDF1AB76000D6098290C DF1203499AF874F1AB76000D6098290C 0000000001
I_BID_TEXT
PARENT_GUID......................................TEXT..TEXT_LINE
DF1203499AF874F1AB76000D6098290C   HTXT   testing bidder text      -> Header Bidder Text
DF1203499AF874F1AB76000D6098290C   NOTE   testing internal note   -> Header Internal Note
DF12037B3803EDF1AB76000D6098290C   NOTE   Testing internal note  -> Item Internal Note
Edited by: Kyle Freeman on Jun 24, 2010 3:21 PM
FM: GUID_CREATE (EBP/SRM & ECC) can create the guid for you.