The Integration Engineer
When it just has to work.

What is a flat file?

Files are called “Flat Files” when they contain a single data structure.  Generally this structure is the column and row structure like a spreadsheet or table, but a file in binary or encrypted with a single encryption key could also be called a flat file.  Files that are not flat; marked up files like XML or HTML, EDI files, other formats like HL7 or SEF files and others.  Here I am going to briefly discuss two flat file types; Delimited Files, and Fixed Width Files. (more…)

What are Delimiters

In short, delimiters are characters that separate the elements of data so that one piece of data can be distinguished from another.  EDI files don’t have externally set delimiters.  This means in a pure sense, that an EDI parser may not know what the delimiters will be until it has begun to parse the file.  This may sound chaotic for someone familiar with strict delimited files.  But we need to remember that in and EDI file, the first segment is fixed position.  This is how EDI addresses the problem. (more…)

Beyond just compliance with the EDI standards, good form is using good practices in planing the format of your EDI.  Below are a set of rules or guidelines that will help you create EDI in good form.  Good form helps others to received your EDI and process it without encountering common exceptions.

Eliminate trailing delimiters.

When EDI was first created, modems were much slower, and high speed internet and Wi-Fi didn’t exist.  Moving large, verbose files over a network took time, and e-commerce solutions charged by the kilo-character.  This means that having unneeded characters cost money. (more…)

For those who may be unfamiliar with the EDI standard, and those who may have used EDI but have encountered a new, unfamiliar question.

This introduction aims at addressing the basic questions of convention and implementation of the EDI technology.  I have a list of topics, and hope that over time I can cover all of them.  I also hope that people reading here may have questions that I haven’t thought to write about.  Please let  me know what your questions are and I will see what I can do about providing answers.

• What is EDI?
• Parts of EDI
• Segments
• Delimiters
• Conventions of EDI
• Why are there more than one version of EDI?
• Usage of EDI specifications
• Standards and Usage
• Encoded Values
• EDI in Good Form
• Element Notation
• Wrapped and Unwrapped EDI
• Enveloping Part One
• Enveloping Part Two – ISA
  
• Enveloping Part Three – GS
• Enveloping Part Four – ST
• Loops in EDI
• Hierarchical Levels

Of course understanding how EDI presents and represents data is the first step.  From here we may want to go to our Data Mapping Guide, or if we are familiar with mapping there are some examples in our mapping case studies of EDI to and from other formats.  Again, if you have an interesting problem or solution, I would love to here about it.  Please send it to
roy@TheIntegrationEngineer.com and i will see what I can do.