Setting Up Flat Files

The format of the record in the flat file must follow the format of the interface table. This means that every column in the table must be in the flat file record and the columns must appear in the same order as the interface table. Every field in the interface table must be written to, even if the field is blank. Each field must be enclosed by a symbol that marks the start and end of the field. Typically, this symbol is a double quotation mark (" "). In addition, each field must be separated from the next field with a field delimiter. Typically, this separator value is a comma (,). However, any field delimiter and text qualifier may be used as long as they do not interfere with the interpretation of the fields. You set the processing options on the conversion program to define the text qualifiers and field delimiters. If you are receiving documents with decimal numbers, you must use a placeholder (such as a period) to indicate the position of the decimal. You define the placeholder in the User Preference table.

The first field value in a flat file record indicates the record type. In other words, the first field value indicates into which interface table the conversion program should insert the record. Record type values are defined and stored by the record type user defined code table (00/RD). The hard-coded values are:

• 1: Header

• 2: Detail

• 3: Additional Header

• 4: Additional Detail

• 5: SDQ

• 6: Address

• 7: Header Text

• 8: Detail Text

For example, suppose a record in the header table has this information (this example ignores table layout standards):

Record Type	Name	Address	City	Zip Code
1	Joe	<Blank>	Denver	80237

This is how the record in the flat file appears:

1, Joe,,Denver,80237

Note that "1" corresponds to a header record type, and the blank space corresponds to the <Blank> in the Address column.

Dates must be in the format MM/DD/YY. Numeric fields must have a decimal as the place keeper. A comma cannot be used.