What’s the DIFF?

One of the basic tasks Integration Engineers do is to compare files that we use or receive. There are some interesting and useful tools that people can get out there to DIFF files. But on Linux and Unix machines around the world there is a native tool that is almost always present. Amazingly it is called DIFF.
Like some other command-line tools, its interface is not really intuitive. Lets walk through the basics of how to get use out of this handy file comparing tool. (If you are working with and comparing EDI files, you might want to look at the post on how to unwrap your EDI file so that our line by line comparison is more meaningful.)
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Like the exchange of data between Sellers and Suppliers, the exchange of data within the company is vital to successful processing of transactions. This could be the Seller or the Supplier, it doesn’t really matter. As data passes from the processing application, to the external interface. We have a concept that is called a Canonical form of data. Canonical data is the data that is required and essential to completing your business. I have written about this in passing before, but today I want to talk about what goes in it, and what it looks like.
This is a mapping exercise that will go through the process of creating a paper map, or mapping document. We will start with an empty paper map that you can get
There are job or task specific tools that will have a high importance to each integration task. When working on an SAP system, your SAP tools will be very important. But there are tools and skills that are also important regardless of the systems and technologies that you are working on. For me, these are the top 5 tools that an Integration Engineer should be able to use proficiently. Do you use any of these? Do you have others?
What is a “Character Set?”
A
What is a flat file?