Acquisitions (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 29, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Oct. 01, 2011		Jul. 02, 2011		Apr. 02, 2011		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Sales	$ 5,402,705		$ 4,962,331		$ 5,150,563		$ 4,889,529		$ 5,440,473		$ 5,186,857		$ 5,539,931		$ 5,223,003		$ 20,405,128		$ 21,390,264		$ 18,744,676
Net income attributable to shareholders	174,704	[1]	103,617	[2]	114,383	[3]	113,628	[4]	174,088	[5]	132,216	[6]	156,197	[7]	136,309	[8]	506,332		598,810		479,630
Basic	$ 1.64	[1],[9]	$ 0.96	[2],[9]	$ 1.04	[3],[9]	$ 1.01	[4],[9]	$ 1.55	[5]	$ 1.17	[6]	$ 1.35	[7]	$ 1.18	[8]	$ 4.64		$ 5.25		$ 4.06
Diluted	$ 1.62	[1],[9]	$ 0.94	[2],[9]	$ 1.02	[3],[9]	$ 1.00	[4],[9]	$ 1.53	[5]	$ 1.15	[6]	$ 1.33	[7]	$ 1.16	[8]	$ 4.56	[10]	$ 5.17	[10]	$ 4.01	[10]
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Gain on bargain purchase, net of related taxes									(410)						(1,078)
Gain on Purchase of Business, Per Share Basic															$ 0.01
Purchase of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interest																	2,526				3,060
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Businesses Acquired																	7		6		5
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Cash Paid	289,782								153,555								289,782		153,555		96,634
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, at Fair Value	10,390																10,390
Richardson RFPD [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, cash consideration paid, net of cash acquired									235,973										235,973
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees									400										400
Nu Horizons [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired									162,213										162,213
Business Acquisition, cash consideration paid, net of cash acquired									161,125										161,125
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Cash and Cash Equivalents									18,085										18,085
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt									26,375										26,375
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees									700										700
Gain on bargain purchase																			1,088
Gain on bargain purchase, net of related taxes																			(668)
Gain on Purchase of Business, Per Share Basic																			$ 0.01
RFPD and Nu Horizons [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Accounts receivable, net									194,312										194,312
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Inventories									169,881										169,881
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Property, Plant and Equipment									11,278										11,278
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Assets									6,965										6,965
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Identifiable Intangible Assets									90,900										90,900
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Cost in excess of net assets of companies acquired									31,951										31,951
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Accounts Payable									(98,967)										(98,967)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Accrued Expenses									(18,900)										(18,900)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Liabilities									(4,080)										(4,080)
Business Combination, Noncontrolling interest									(3,239)										(3,239)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired									380,101										380,101
Business Acquisition, cash consideration paid, net of cash acquired									379,013										379,013
Sales																			876,817
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Gain on bargain purchase																			1,088
Acquisitions 2011 [Member]
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue																			21,573,260		20,082,596
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)																			603,243		497,415
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Basic																			$ 5.29		$ 4.22
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Diluted																			$ 5.20		$ 4.16
Intechra [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, cash consideration paid, net of cash acquired																					101,085
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Cash and Cash Equivalents																					77
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees																					300
Shared [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, cash consideration paid, net of cash acquired																					252,825
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt																					61,898
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees																					1,000
Converge [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, cash consideration paid, net of cash acquired																					138,363
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Assets, Cash and Cash Equivalents																					4,803
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt																					27,546
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Number of Employees																					350
Intechra Shared and Converge Combined [Member]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation [Abstract]
Sales																					256,505
2010 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue																					19,326,092
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)																					$ 491,688
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Basic																					$ 4.17
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Earnings Per Share, Diluted																					$ 4.11

[1] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($6,320 net of related taxes or $.06 per share on both a basic and diluted basis) and a gain on the settlement of a legal matter ($48,623 net of related taxes or $.46 and $.45 per share on a basic and diluted basis, respectively)

[2] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($8,576 net of related taxes or $.08 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[3] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($9,702 net of related taxes or $.09 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[4] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($6,141 net of related taxes or $.05 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[5] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($11,223 net of related taxes or $.10 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), an adjustment to the gain on bargain purchase recorded in the first quarter of 2011 ($410 net of related taxes), a loss on prepayment of debt ($549 net of related taxes), and a net reduction in the provision for income taxes ($28,928 net of related taxes or $.26 and $.25 per share on a basic and diluted basis, respectively) principally due to a reversal of valuation allowance on certain deferred tax assets.

[6] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($6,048 net of related taxes or $.05 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[7] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($3,584 net of related taxes or $.03 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[8] Includes restructuring, integration, and other charges ($7,199 net of related taxes or $.06 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), a charge related to the settlement of a legal matter ($3,609 net of related taxes or $.03 per share on both a basic and diluted basis), and a gain on bargain purchase ($1,078 net of related taxes or $.01 per share on both a basic and diluted basis).

[9] Quarterly net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during each quarterly period, while net income per share for the full year is calculated using the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the year. Therefore, the sum of the net income per share for each of the four quarters may not equal the net income per share for the full year.

[10] Stock-based compensation awards for the issuance of 1,424 shares, 1,051 shares, and 3,257 shares for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively, were excluded from the computation of net income per share on a diluted basis as their effect is anti-dilutive.