Changing the Data File
Both inbound and outbound data files are predefined by Oracle EDI Gateway. The data file may be used as defined or customized to match your specific business requirements.
Some of the reasons to modify the predefined file format include:
- exclude unused columns and unused records
- rearrange data file layout within an interface table
- activate data elements in the interface table
- change sequence of the five external fields resulting from code conversion
- change the layout qualifier
By making the data file formats table-driven, your format changes take effect immediately without any code changes.
Attention: You cannot use this window to add data elements or records to the data file format, unless they are already defined to the EDI Gateway interface tables.
To change the data file definition:
1. Navigate to the Interface File Definition window.
2. Select the transaction type.
3. Select the data level. This is a six-character EDI Gateway code that identifies the desired transaction and interface table.
This identifies the level of data within the transaction defined in the EDI Gateway interface table structure. The levels may differ when compared to the base application tables as data is denormalized.
All the records for the output level are displayed. The data format for outbound transactions is displayed by EDI Gateway interface table name and column. The data format for inbound transactions is displayed by application open interface table name and column. You cannot change the data in these two columns.
4. Change the record number.
You can change the record number to another number within the same level or enter blanks to exclude the record from the data file. The record number indicates the relative position of a group of data in a file.
5. Change the position number.
You can change the position number to another number within the record or enter blanks to exclude the column from the data file.
The position number identifies the relative position of a data item in a record. Each record item is numbered sequentially for each logical group up to 512 bytes of data. A record can support more than 512 bytes only if the EDI translator software can support longer records.
6. Change the width of the data element.
Most data elements have lengths based on standards. Those lengths are usually longer in Oracle Applications. You may increase the length up to the length in the Oracle application as needed per data element.
7. Change the sequence of external codes.
This identifies the order of the five external values derived by applying code conversion to an internal Oracle data element. Positions for five return values are allocated with default sequence numbers 1 to 5.
You may retain as many external values in the set required by your code conversion rules. Or, you may delete all five external values in the set if code conversion is not used.
A conversion sequence of 0 is reserved for the Oracle internal value. Do not change.
8. Change the record layout code.
This identifies the data content of a data element. These codes are predefined for the transaction. Generic record layouts for addresses and flexfields are defined and used across all transactions. Other record layouts are defined for a specific transaction. You may modify the predefined value. See: Record Layout Codes.
9. Change the record layout qualifier.
This identifies the type of data in the record. For example, a generic record layout code for addresses may have a record layout qualifier that identifies the address as a ship-to, bill-to, or remit-to address type. You may modify the predefined value.
See Also
Overview of Data File Structure
