Understanding User-Defined Formats

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Table Conversion Design Aid uses user-defined formats to handle fixed-width or comma separated value (CSV) files in a table or text file. These files are collectively known as flat files because they do not have relationships defined like relational database tables. Usually, flat files are text files that are stored on a workstation or server. They are used to import or export data from applications that have no other means of interaction. For example, you might need to share information between JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and an external application. If the external application does not support one of the same databases that JD Edwards EnterpriseOne supports, flat files might be the only way to transfer data between the two applications.

In a flat file, records are stored as a continuous string of information. The user-defined format provides instructions on how data is presented.

This table illustrates a single database record with five columns of data: Last, First, Addr, City, and Phone:

Last	First	Addr	City	Phone
Doe	John	123 Main	Anytown	5551234

This record can be formatted as a comma-delimited string:

Doe, John, 123 Main, Anytown, 5551234

This record can also be formatted as a fixed-width column format, in which each column is eight characters long.