Creating Custom EDI Message Types

DataDirect XML Converters supports the Standard Exchange Format (SEF), which allows you to describe structure of an EDI document. This allows the DataDirect XML Converters for EDI to convert proprietary EDI message types that are based on an extension (or restriction) to a standard EDI message type. You can instruct the EDI XML Converter to read your SEF extension file and use it when converting your proprietary EDI to XML.

You can find a copy of the SEF standard specification on the DataDirect XML Converters web site:

http://www.xmlconverters.com/SEF

You can create custom EDI message types for

Custom message types must be either EDIFACT- or X12-style messages, since the auto-detection feature of the DataDirect XML Converters for EDI depends on the initial segments of those dialects as well as on the general syntax of the document. You cannot, for example, create an HL7 EDI message, since HL7 is structurally different (it allows messages to span documents, it allows segments to be split and continued, it has a sub-field structure, and so on).

Process Overview

The process for using a custom EDI message type includes the following steps:

1. Create a SEF file (mycustomEDI.sef, for example) that describes how the custom EDI message type differs from the EDI standard on which it is based - its extensions or restrictions, in other words. The purpose of this document is to teach the DataDirect XML Converters engine the differences between your custom EDI message type and the EDI standard message type on which it is based.
2. Open the EDI file you want to convert to XML. Select File > Open, and then select the Open Using XML Converter check box.

Specifying the SEF File Location

You can specify the location of the SEF file in the Extension map file property using

Note that if you are using a relative path, it must be relative to the same directories in which the DataDirect XML Converters executables are installed:

In environments in which the location of the XMLConverters.* file cannot be determined, you must specify the location:

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