-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 3:10 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: 80 characters vs. one long string.
>Exactly how should an EDI file be formatted?
>Should the file have any carriage returns to break it into lines of 80
>characters?
No - I call this Wrapped or Blocked data... I have seen this requirement for IBM mainframes and AS400.
>Should the file be one long string with no "line formatting"?
Yes, this is pure EDI, in my opinion.
>Does the communications piece have a say so (bysinch, asynch, ftp, pop3,
>http, sneaker-net, etc.)?
No, they will transmit the file either way. However remember that the mainframe partner can't do anything with the file unless it is wrapped. See the character conversion issue below too.
>Do the VANs change a file's format in transit?
Yes. Sterling converts our terminator and delimiter to what the partner wants to see. We have to wrap the data to send it to Sterling.
>Should translators accept either (maybe a setting that can be switched
>could be provided)?
No - it is a limitation of the platform that the software is on. IBM Mainframe and AS400 are limited to only being able to handle fixed record lengths.
In my experience, I run into EDI Technicians who think that my file is corrupt if it is not wrapped. They are simply ignorant of the technical details. In either event, I go ahead and write the script to wrap the data, because I figure they won't be bright enough to manage it... (I even deal with people who send me the error message from their translator because they don't know how to read it).
Since you brought this up - you will soon run into character conversion issues. Most likely these mainframes use the EBCDIC character set instead of ASCII. If you use non-print characters (i.e. ones not on the keyboard) as terminators or delimiters, you may see these get converted to invalid characters.
>What say you List?
I say they are wrong and you are right! However, you have to compensate for their lack of knowledge and give them something they can work with.
Anthony Beecher
Thanks for your help.
Jaime E. Zepeda
Electronic Commerce Specialist
Power & Telephone Supply Company
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