How To Fix WD170 - Error '&' when converting data '&' to XML

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: WD - Workflow definition

• Message number: 170

• Message text: Error '&' when converting data '&' to XML

Self-Explanatory Message

Since SAP believes that this specific error message is 'self-explanatory,' no more information has been given.The majority of messages in the SAP system have a message text, however this is frequently insufficient to comprehend or resolve the problem.

To make things easier, more detailed information is frequently added to describe the issue, how to fix it, and the necessary steps or configuration modifications.

Unfortunately, there isn't any extra information in this error notice.

What else can you do?

First, use our AnswerBot below to get a possible cause and solution (requires a premium subscription).

Also, review the in-depth Common Questions & Answers listed below; you could discover a solution there or be able to connect with others who have faced similar challenges.

You can also try searching the SAP support portal (support.sap.com) but you need a special user ID to access it. It is possible that an SAP support note exists that provides additional details about the mistake or even steps for fixing it.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message WD170 - Error '&' when converting data '&' to XML ?

  The SAP error message:
  WD170 Error '&' when converting data '&' to XML
  typically occurs in the context of Web Dynpro applications or any SAP component that involves converting data structures to XML format.
  
  Cause
  
  The error indicates that during the conversion of data to XML, an invalid or unexpected character (in this case, the ampersand &) was encountered.
  The ampersand & is a special character in XML and must be properly escaped (e.g., &) when included in XML content.
  If the data contains special characters like &, <, >, ", or ' and these are not properly escaped, the XML parser will throw an error.
  This usually happens when the data being converted to XML contains raw special characters that violate XML syntax rules.
  
  
  Solution
  
  
  Escape Special Characters:
  
  Ensure that all special characters in the data are properly escaped before conversion to XML.
  SAP provides standard functions to escape XML special characters, such as:
  
  CL_WD_XML_UTILITIES=>ESCAPE_XML
  Or use the method CL_WD_XML_UTILITIES=>ESCAPE_XML to convert special characters to their XML entities.
  
  
  
  
  
  Check Data Source:
  
  Identify the source of the data that contains the & character.
  Clean or preprocess the data to replace or escape special characters before XML conversion.
  
  
  
  Use SAP Standard XML Conversion Methods:
  
  When converting data to XML, use SAP standard classes and methods that handle escaping automatically.
  Avoid manual string concatenation for XML generation.
  
  
  
  Debugging:
  
  Trace the program to find the exact data causing the issue.
  Check the XML output or the data structure before conversion to identify unescaped special characters.
  
  
  
  
  Related Information
  
  
  XML Special Characters:
  
  & ? &amp;
  < ? &lt;
  > ? &gt;
  " ? &quot;
  ' ? &apos;
  
  
  
  SAP Notes and Documentation:
  
  Check SAP Notes related to XML conversion errors in Web Dynpro or other SAP components.
  Refer to SAP Help Portal for CL_WD_XML_UTILITIES class documentation.
  
  
  
  Common Scenarios:
  
  Web Dynpro applications generating XML for UI elements or data exchange.
  Data serialization for web services or interfaces.
  
  
  
  
  Summary
  
  
  
  Aspect
  Details
  
  
  
  
  Cause
  Unescaped special character & in data being converted to XML.
  
  
  Solution
  Escape special characters using SAP standard methods like CL_WD_XML_UTILITIES=>ESCAPE_XML.
  
  
  Related
  XML special character rules, SAP standard XML utilities, Web Dynpro data handling.
  
  
  
  
  If you provide the exact context or code snippet where the error occurs, I can help with a more specific solution.