Converting Custom EDI Message Types

DataDirect XML Converters supports the Standard Exchange Format (SEF). SEF allows you to describe structure of an EDI document 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.

Working with SEF Files

You can build a SEF file based on the SEF specification. A copy of the SEF standard specification has been placed on the DataDirect XML Converters web site:

A far easier way is to use the Stylus Studio EDI to XML module to create a SEF file. Using graphical tools, the EDI to XML editor allows you to

Process Overview

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

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. For example: