Comments inline below...
>
> Now I am even more confused
>
I tend to have that effect. Sorry about that.
> What do you mean by *formatting structure*?
>
> X12 is the standard used , EDI is *the process* to route data?
>
I tend to break things down to it component levels so I can better
understand them and use them in my development projects. As such, I see EDI
as the process of getting 'documents' back and forth between computer
systems with as little human involvement as possible. This is broken down
into many different steps and procedures. To save space I just describe it
as a 'process' and believe that it is an ongoing one at that. So, yes, EDI
is "the process" that we as TP's go thru to get the documents flowing back
and forth in as automated fashion as possible.
The transaction sets are formatted to an agreed upon structure (and supposed
'standard' like X12/EDIFACT for example). As we all know, these 'standards'
are merely starting points and templates for the large TP's to modify at
will. That's why we have part of the 'Process of EDI' to guide us on our way
to a consensus on the actual and usable formatting structure that we'll use
with that TP. Now, XML can be added to this list of formatting structures
(X12/EDIFACT included) that could be used. It's just a different way of
encoding the documents. Once it achieves a certain level of usage then it'll
magically become a 'standard' just like all the rest of the 'standards' that
we have in the technology industry. <g>
> Are you saying that XML can use X12/EDIFACT standards? How?
>
I suppose you could wrap X12/EDIFACT formatting structures into XML tags but
I don't see the big benefit of that. I've also used XML tags and a
hierarchical structure that mimick the X12 'tags'(Transactionset ID +
Segment ID, etc.) so that a few TP's could extract those XML tags into
'standard' X12 formatted files and work with them normally after that. It
was a comfort for them for awhile to do that. That's just one way to go
though.
> Doesn't XML use tags like http to identify the data? How is that X12?
>
Yes XML uses tags (delimiters) just as X12 uses ID's in the structure to
separate things. It's just that XML *can* (and that is a very powerful word
<g>) use tags for anything and everything and use, add, or ignore those tags
at will. It's NOT X12. X12 isn't the only part of EDI either. It doesn't
need to be... it's just a data formatting structure. As long as those
structures are agreed upon by the TP's then it works.
I'm sure there are MANY resources that can explain it much better than I can
out there. I just use both XML and X12 structures to fulfill my clients'
EDI needs. As I have found when discussing these things I have to say that I
don't see any one format as the magic bullet. XML is just simply another way
to do it and I find it very flexible.
- A Hilton
>
> On Tuesday, October 24, 2000 1:38 PM, A Hilton [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> wrote:
> > For me, as a developer, the key to the XML formatting structure is
> > flexibility. The "Process of EDI" doesn't change with differing format
> > (X12/EDIFACT/XML-based). I would answer your original question
> by saying
> > that by having an XML-based EDI format will allow one to reach new
> partners;
> >
> > interact with new or existing partners in different and
> flexible ways; and
> > utilize new (and sometimes even effective <g>) automated processes to
> reach
> > your suppliers/customers. Does that sound enough like the verbage in the
> > trade mags?
> >
> > Seriously though, I find the XML formatting structure of those clients I
> > help 'do EDI' allows them to gain the benefits of the "Process
> of EDI" and
> > still have flexibility in how that data gets moved around. It really is,
> in
> > my opinion, just a matter of moving bits around. The REAL work
> is in that
> > "Process of EDI" (as I like to call it... as you can tell) and
> it has very
> > little to do with the formatting structure.
> >
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