# Import-/Export-Facility

## Description of IEF Formats

There are different types of IEF format descriptions for the different types of widgets depending if data from other entities is to be read in or out via a relationship. First of all a description of the principal structure of a format:

A format consists of two parts, the head part (format definition) and the field description part (field definition). In the head part all general information about the format is described as for example the format name or the parameter for opening the widget. In the field description part the specific functions are described which allocate an Agile e6 field to a position in the file.

A format can be used for read-in as well as read-out. It is sometimes necessary to use two different formats if for example the key fields are different fields (external key).

The fields to be transferred are defined in a special IEF entity in Agile e6: It enables the definition of different formats for the update of a file. The widget information about the automatic structure of the read-in widget can be specified for each format. For reference widgets the format of the master widget and the allocated widgets are in addition indicated.

The field definition is specified for each format. It is therefor for example possible for every format to compose fields of sub-fields and include system data and constants. If fields are composed of sub-fields the EDB field must when importing be composed completely starting from the first column.

### Format definition

The format definition describes the frame conditions for the data transfer. It has a unique format identification consisting of a format name and a format version. Every format definition is determined by the format type (i.e. entity, relationship, etc.) and the parameters for opening the mask allocated to the format. Userexits can be assigned to any format.
The IEF formats are defined in the list mask IEF format definition or in the form mask IEF format definition.

### Field definition

It is possible to assign a field definition to every format. The field definition describes the layout of the ASCII file. That means it describes which data from EDB is placed where in the file and vice versa. This field definition can equally be used for the data import and data export.

- One line in the file represents for one data record in EDB
- All lines in the file have the same structure.

The IEF fields are defined in the list mask IEF field definition.

#### Example for an ASCII file:

    ITEM 4711-950313-01 01 A backgears 1.5 kg
    ITEM 4712-950313-02 01 A Central box 0.7 kg
    ITEM 4711-950313-01 01 B backgears 1.7 kg

The related field definition is as follows: