EDIFACT Sample Converted to XML

This shows a sample EDIFACT document before and after conversion to XML, displaying markup and full automatically-generated internal documentation.

Sample EDIFACT Document

UNA:+.? '
UNB+UNOA:3+STYLUSSTUDIO:1+DATADIRECT:1+20051107:1159+6002'
UNH+SSDD1+ORDERS:D:03B:UN:EAN008'
BGM+220+BKOD99+9'
DTM+137:20051107:102'
NAD+BY+5412345000176::9'
NAD+SU+4012345000094::9'
LIN+1+1+0764569104:IB'
QTY+1:25'
FTX+AFM+1++XPath 2.0 Programmer?'s Reference'
LIN+2+1+0764569090:IB'
QTY+1:25'
FTX+AFM+1++XSLT 2.0 Programmer?'s Reference'
LIN+3+1+1861004656:IB'
QTY+1:16'
FTX+AFM+1++Java Server Programming'
LIN+4+1+0596006756:IB'
QTY+1:10'
FTX+AFM+1++Enterprise Service Bus'
UNS+S'
CNT+2:4'
UNT+22+SSDD1'
UNZ+1+6002'

(The original raw EDIFACT sample file edifact-sample.txt is here).

Equivalent EDIFACT XML Document as Converted by Stylus Studio®

Why is the XML so much bigger than the EDI?

The EDI omits almost all of the markup, so that an independent processor doesn't know the meaning of each element. XML includes that, so engines like XSLT and XQuery can do their magic. What you don't see in the EDI is the megabytes of dictionary information you need to decode it, and the megabytes of code necessary to alter in case on little element is inserted or removed. That is where XML shines. And you can use it in your own programs, thanks to the data conversion API.

<EDIFACT>
    <UNB>
        <UNB01>
            <UNB0101>UNOA</UNB0101>
            <UNB0102>4</UNB0102>
        </UNB01>
        <UNB02>
            <UNB0201>STYLUSSTUDIO</UNB0201>
            <UNB0202>1</UNB0202>
        </UNB02>
        <UNB03>
            <UNB0301>DATADIRECT</UNB0301>
            <UNB0302>1</UNB0302>
        </UNB03>
        <UNB04>
            <UNB0401>20051107</UNB0401>
            <UNB0402>1159</UNB0402>
        </UNB04>
        <UNB05>6002</UNB05>
    </UNB>
    <ORDERS>
        <UNH>
            <UNH01>SSDD1</UNH01>
            <UNH02>
                <UNH0201>ORDERS</UNH0201>
                <UNH0202>D</UNH0202>
                <UNH0203>03B</UNH0203>
                <UNH0204>UN</UNH0204>
                <UNH0205>EAN008</UNH0205>
            </UNH02>
        </UNH>
        <BGM>
            <BGM01>
                <BGM0101>220</BGM0101>
            </BGM01>
            <BGM02>
                <BGM0201>BKOD99</BGM0201>
            </BGM02>
            <BGM03>9</BGM03>
        </BGM>
        <DTM>
            <DTM01>
                <DTM0101>137</DTM0101>
                <DTM0102>20051107</DTM0102>
                <DTM0103>102</DTM0103>
            </DTM01>
        </DTM>
        <GROUP_2>
            <NAD>
                <NAD01>BY</NAD01>
                <NAD02>
                    <NAD0201>5412345000176</NAD0201>
                    <NAD0203>9</NAD0203>
                </NAD02>
            </NAD>
        </GROUP_2>
        <GROUP_2>
            <NAD>
                <NAD01>SU</NAD01>
                <NAD02>
                    <NAD0201>4012345000094</NAD0201>
                    <NAD0203>9</NAD0203>
                </NAD02>
            </NAD>
        </GROUP_2>
        <GROUP_28>
            <LIN>
                <LIN01>1</LIN01>
                <LIN02>1</LIN02>
                <LIN03>
                    <LIN0301>0764569104</LIN0301>
                    <LIN0302>IB</LIN0302>
                </LIN03>
            </LIN>
            <QTY>
                <QTY01>
                    <QTY0101>1</QTY0101>
                    <QTY0102>25</QTY0102>
                </QTY01>
            </QTY>
            <FTX>
                <FTX01>AFM</FTX01>
                <FTX02>1</FTX02>
                <FTX04>
                    <FTX0401>XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference</FTX0401>
                </FTX04>
            </FTX>
        </GROUP_28>
        <GROUP_28>
            <LIN>
                <LIN01>2</LIN01>
                <LIN02>1</LIN02>
                <LIN03>
                    <LIN0301>0764569090</LIN0301>
                    <LIN0302>IB</LIN0302>
                </LIN03>
            </LIN>
            <QTY>
                <QTY01>
                    <QTY0101>1</QTY0101>
                    <QTY0102>25</QTY0102>
                </QTY01>
            </QTY>
            <FTX>
                <FTX01>AFM</FTX01>
                <FTX02>1</FTX02>
                <FTX04>
                    <FTX0401>XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference</FTX0401>
                </FTX04>
            </FTX>
        </GROUP_28>
        <GROUP_28>
            <LIN>
                <LIN01>3</LIN01>
                <LIN02>1</LIN02>
                <LIN03>
                    <LIN0301>1861004656</LIN0301>
                    <LIN0302>IB</LIN0302>
                </LIN03>
            </LIN>
            <QTY>
                <QTY01>
                    <QTY0101>1</QTY0101>
                    <QTY0102>16</QTY0102>
                </QTY01>
            </QTY>
            <FTX>
                <FTX01>AFM</FTX01>
                <FTX02>1</FTX02>
                <FTX04>
                    <FTX0401>Java Server Programming</FTX0401>
                </FTX04>
            </FTX>
        </GROUP_28>
        <GROUP_28>
            <LIN>
                <LIN01>4</LIN01>
                <LIN02>1</LIN02>
                <LIN03>
                    <LIN0301>0596006756</LIN0301>
                    <LIN0302>IB</LIN0302>
                </LIN03>
            </LIN>
            <QTY>
                <QTY01>
                    <QTY0101>1</QTY0101>
                    <QTY0102>10</QTY0102>
                </QTY01>
            </QTY>
            <FTX>
                <FTX01>AFM</FTX01>
                <FTX02>1</FTX02>
                <FTX04>
                    <FTX0401>Enterprise Service Bus</FTX0401>
                </FTX04>
            </FTX>
        </GROUP_28>
        <UNS>
            <UNS01>S</UNS01>
        </UNS>
        <CNT>
            <CNT01>
                <CNT0101>2</CNT0101>
                <CNT0102>4</CNT0102>
            </CNT01>
        </CNT>
        <UNT>
            <UNT01>22</UNT01>
            <UNT02>SSDD1</UNT02>
        </UNT>
    </ORDERS>
    <UNZ>
        <UNZ01>1</UNZ01>
        <UNZ02>6002</UNZ02>
    </UNZ>
</EDIFACT>

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