Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide

Transcription

1 Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide

2 All rights reserved. No part of this document may be copied, duplicated, or reproduced without written consent from Softshare. EDI Notepad version 5.1, build 122. Copyright 2008 Softshare. Softshare Athena, Softshare Delta, Softshare ECS, and Softshare Vista are trademarks of Softshare. All other trademarks mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders. United States Office Softshare, Inc. 911 Olive Street Santa Barbara, CA Phone Fax Netherlands Office Softshare B.V. Brouwersgracht HA Amsterdam Phone +31 (0) Fax +31 (0)

3 Table of Contents 1 Desktop Orientation 1 Orientation Overview... 2 Opening EDI Viewing EDI 5 HTML View... 6 Edit View... 8 Text View Hex View Validating EDI 12 Syntax Validation Checks Syntax Error Display Error Highlights in Document Display Interface Detailed Error Reports Editing & Working 18 Editing EDI Editing Elements Inserting Segments Deleting Segments Working Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide i

4 Table of Contents Find Print Copy/Paste Export Control Number Incrementation Interchange Summary Report Trading Partner Manager Integration Building EDI from 29 6 Generating 34 7 Sending EDI 35 Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide ii

5 1 Desktop Orientation In this chapter, we'll discuss the basic organization of Softshare EDI Notepad's desktop, as well as the basic properties that a file must possess in order to render in EDI Notepad. Orientation Overview 2 Opening EDI 4 Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 1

6 Orientation Overview EDI Notepad's desktop is divided into two panes. In the left pane, there is an EDI structure tree that displays three nested node types, each representing a different EDI component: envelope, group, and transaction. When you highlight a node from the left pane, EDI Notepad displays its details in the right content pane. When you first open a document in EDI Notepad, it defaults to the HTML view mode, as shown here. However, you can edit this default from EDI Notepad's application preferences, available under Tools Options. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 2

7 Chapter 1: Desktop Orientation Orientation Overview EDI Notepad is an MDI (multiple document interface) application. In this type of interface, multiple documents open within the same parent window. From EDI Notepad's Window menu, you can toggle between multiple open documents, as well as choose to tile or cascade individual document windows. By default, all.edi files opened outside of EDI Notepad will open in the current open instance of EDI Notepad. However, if you want.edi files opened from other applications to open new instances of EDI Notepad, you can deselect the Open new files in a single instance of EDI Notepad option found under Tools Options. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 3

8 Opening EDI Any text file containing valid, raw EDI can be opened in EDI Notepad. EDI Notepad considers EDI to be valid if it contains either a properly formatted ISA segment (ANSI X12), a properly formatted UNB segment (UN/EDIFACT), or a properly formatted STX segment (TRADACOMS). Any document on your system with an extension of.edi will automatically open in EDI Notepad. If you attempt to open a file that does not contain a properly formatted ISA, UNB, or STX segment, EDI Notepad will alert you, to the best of its ability, to the errors it encountered in the ISA, UNB, or STX segment, as shown in the next graphic. You will not be able to open the file in EDI Notepad until these errors are corrected. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 4

9 2 Viewing EDI Softshare EDI Notepad offers four view modes. You can switch from one view to another using either EDI Notepad's View menu or the drop-down view selection from EDI Notepad's toolbar, as shown in the next graphic. All four of these view modes are discussed in this chapter. HTML View 6 Edit View 8 Text View 10 Hex View 11 Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 5

10 HTML View EDI Notepad's HTML view displays EDI transaction sets as attractive business documents, as shown in the next graphic. If you're looking to easily read or comprehend the information contained in an EDI document, this is the ideal viewing mode. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 6

11 Chapter 2: Viewing EDI HTML View By default, the Download partner logo and display information dynamically from Softshare option is enabled from EDI Notepad's Options page (Tools Options). Pertaining to the HTML view only, this option dynamically queries Softshare's database of trading partners, looking for one that has a qualifier/identifier pair that matches the sender or receiver of the document currently open in EDI Notepad. If a match is found, EDI Notepad will display the custom template that Softshare has created for that trading partner's documents, as shown in the next graphic. Softshare's custom templates are initially created for clients who are using Softshare's formsbased EDI applications, Softshare Vista and Softshare Athena, to exchange EDI documents with their trading partners. Since EDI Notepad uses the same architecture as Vista and Athena when rendering EDI in HTML, Softshare is able to provide EDI Notepad users with this same enhancement. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 7

12 Edit View EDI Notepad's edit view displays EDI transaction sets in a columnar format. The left column can either display a segment's formal name or a segment's position in the EDI document, whichever you prefer. The Data column displays the EDI segment and its accompanying elements. Whether the edit view displays segment name or position in the first column depends on which view you currently have selected from the View menu. In this graphic, segment name is shown. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 8

13 Chapter 2: Viewing EDI Edit View EDI Notepad's edit view supports on hover highlights and tooltips. For example, as shown in the next graphic, when you hover over a piece of data, EDI Notepad highlights the element and displays a yellow tooltip with additional information about the element. You can customize the background and text color of highlighted data from Tools Options. As described in detail in Editing EDI and Building EDI from, the edit view is the viewing mode you will use to edit and build EDI transactions. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 9

14 Text View EDI Notepad's text view displays, in a native EDI format, all the envelopes, groups, and transaction sets included in the current EDI batch. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 10

15 Hex View EDI Notepad's hex view displays, in a hexadecimal format, all the envelopes, groups, and transaction sets included in the current EDI batch. The hex view is helpful when you need to see non-printable characters. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 11

16 3 Validating EDI Softshare EDI Notepad validates EDI according to the EDI standard and version referenced in the current document. The types of errors EDI Notepad validates for as well as how EDI Notepad identifies these errors are discussed in this chapter. Syntax Validation Checks 13 Syntax Error Display 14 Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 12

17 Syntax Validation Checks Using the syntax set forth by the EDI standard and version, EDI Notepad validates for: Mandatory segments and elements Conditional segments and elements (i.e. mandatory status is determined by the presence of another segment or element) Out-of-order segments Maximum segment repeat/loop counts Discrepant trailer counts Discrepancies between header/trailer controls Minimum/maximum character widths for elements Invalid data formats Invalid codes (optional, see note below) By default, the Verify that codes are legal as defined in the dictionary option is enabled from EDI Notepad's Options page (Tools Options). However, if you and your trading partners have agreed to use codes outside the EDI standard, you may disable this option. When this option is disabled, EDI Notepad no longer validates code values, nor does it reject invalid code values on the functional acknowledgments that it generates. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 13

18 Syntax Error Display EDI Notepad identifies errors with both visual highlights in the document display interface and detailed error reports. Error Highlights in Document Display Interface Detailed Error Reports Error Highlights in Document Display Interface In the left pane, EDI Notepad places a red icon with an "x" in it over any envelope, group, or transaction node, along with its parent nodes, that contains errors. For example, if the error exists in a transaction, the transaction, along with its parent group and envelope, will all display the error icon in the EDI structure tree, as shown in the next graphic. If an error exists in a transaction, the transaction, along with its parent group and envelope, will all display the error icon in the EDI structure tree. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 14

19 Chapter 3: Validating EDI Syntax Error Display In the right content pane, EDI Notepad, whenever possible, will highlight the segment rows that contain errors. These highlights are only visible in EDI Notepad's edit view. Whenever possible, EDI Notepad will highlight the segment rows that contain errors. However, in some instances, such as missing mandatory segments, EDI Notepad will not be able to place a highlight in the right content pane. Detailed Error Reports Visual highlights may not provide the detail you need to pinpoint EDI syntax errors. For an explanation of the errors found in an EDI file, you can generate the EDI Parsing Errors report by selecting View Errors. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 15

20 Chapter 3: Validating EDI Syntax Error Display When generating the EDI Parsing Errors report, its scope is determined solely by EDI Notepad's focus at the time of report generation. For example, you can generate the report for all the EDI data in the open file (i.e. the entire batch), you can generate the report for a single interchange (i.e. an envelope/group/transaction grouping), or you can generate the report for a single transaction. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 16

21 Chapter 3: Validating EDI Syntax Error Display The following table outlines the scope of the EDI Parsing Errors report, as determined by focus at the time of report generation. If focus is on the EDI structure tree (left pane) and The following node type is highlighted an envelope node a group node a transaction node If focus is on the content pane (right pane) and The following view mode is selected HTML view edit view text view hex view The EDI Parsing Errors report includes errors found throughout the entire interchange (i.e. the envelope's associated group(s) and transaction(s) current group and its associated transaction(s) current transaction only The EDI Parsing Errors report includes errors found throughout the current transaction only current transaction only batch (i.e. the entire EDI file) batch (i.e. the entire EDI file) Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 17

22 4 Editing & Working with EDI Using Softshare EDI Notepad's edit and management tools, you can extensively manipulate your EDI files. Editing EDI 19 Working 25 Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 18

23 Editing EDI Using EDI Notepad's edit tools, you can extensively manipulate your EDI files. These manipulations include the editing of element values and the deletion/insertion of segments and elements. Editing Elements Inserting Segments Deleting Segments Editing Elements You can edit element values, add new elements to the document, or delete elements from the document. As described in the next two sections, the process of editing elements in the body of an EDI document differs from the process of editing elements in the document's envelope or group. Editing Transaction Elements Elements found within the body of an EDI document are edited from the right content pane, while in the edit view mode, as described in the next set of steps. To edit, add, or delete transaction elements 1 If you haven't already, switch to EDI Notepad's edit view by selecting it from the menu bar (View Edit) or the toolbar. 2 From the left-hand EDI structure tree, highlight the transaction that contains the element you would like to edit. 3 In the right content pane, double-click the element. EDI Notepad displays the properties of the element, as shown in the next graphic. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 19

24 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Editing EDI 4 Edit, add, or delete an element value, as described next: Editing an element value. Overwrite the current element value by highlighting the text in the Data field and entering new text or, if the value is determined by a code list, select a different code from the Data field's drop-down menu. Adding an element. Enter a value in the Data field or, if the value is determined by a code list, select the appropriate code from the Data field's drop-down menu. Deleting an element. Erase the current value from the Data field or, if the value is determined by a code list, select "=(None)" from the Data field's drop-down menu. "=(None)" is always the first selection listed in the code list. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 20

25 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Editing EDI 5 After making your edits, click OK. To change the control number of a transaction written in the ANSI X12 standard (i.e. to edit the ST02 and SE02), double-click the transaction from the EDI structure tree. Editing Envelope and Group Elements Envelope and group elements are edited from special property screens, as described in the next set of steps. To edit envelope and group elements 1 In the EDI structure tree, double-click the envelope or group that contains the element you would like to edit. 2 In the Envelope Properties screen or Group Properties screen, click once in the field that carries the value that you would like to edit to activate it for editing. 3 After making all necessary edits to the elements found in the group or envelope, click OK. Inserting Segments You can insert segments into an EDI transaction. If you're looking to insert an envelope, group, or entire transaction into the EDI file, visit the chapter titled Building EDI from for detailed instructions. To insert a segment 1 If you haven't already, switch to EDI Notepad's edit view by selecting it from the menu bar (View Edit) or the toolbar. 2 In the EDI structure tree, highlight the transaction that you would like to insert a segment into. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 21

26 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Editing EDI 3 In the right content pane, right-click the segment row that will immediately precede the new segment and, from the context menu that appears, select the segment you would like to insert, as shown in the next graphic. When inserting a new segment, EDI Notepad provides you with only those segments that can validly exist between the highlighted segment and the one immediately below it. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 22

27 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Editing EDI 4 EDI Notepad displays the newly inserted segment's property screen. From this screen, there are two methods available to you for completing the segment: You can move from element tab to element tab to enter and save values for the elements that you are including in the new segment, as described in the set of steps titled To edit, add, or delete transaction elements. You can click the Quick Entry button, which allows you to create the segment using free-form text, as shown in the next graphic. (If you'd like the quick entry screen to always appear when inserting segments, you can select the Open quick entry dialog when segments are inserted option available under Tools Options.) The screen shown here opened with the two mandatory elements for the LIN segment already in place; however, you can also choose for it to open as (1) a segment with all element names in place, (2) a segment with all delimiters in place, but no element names, or (3) an empty segment. This preference is customized from the Start quick entry dialog with drop-down menu found under Tools Options. 5 After completing your new segment, click OK. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 23

28 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Editing EDI Deleting Segments As described in the next two sections, the process of deleting segments in the body of an EDI document differs from the process of deleting the document's envelope or group. Deleting Transaction Segments Segments found within the body of an EDI document are inserted and deleted from the right content pane, while in the edit view mode. To delete a transaction segment 1 If you haven't already, switch to EDI Notepad's edit view by selecting it from the menu bar (View Edit) or the toolbar. 2 In the EDI structure tree, highlight the transaction that contains the segment you would like to delete. 3 In the right content pane, highlight the segment you would like to delete and select Edit Delete from the menu bar. If you'd like to delete an entire transaction from the EDI file, highlight the transaction from the EDI structure tree and select Edit Delete. Deleting Envelopes and Groups To delete an envelope or group, highlight it from the EDI structure tree and select Edit Delete from the menu bar. When you delete an envelope, you are also deleting all of its associated groups and transactions (i.e. the entire interchange). When you delete a group, you are deleting the group and all of its associated transactions. You can delete multiple interchanges at once from EDI Notepad's Purge screen (Tools Purge). Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 24

29 Working EDI Notepad has several tools and features to help you more efficiently work files: Find Print Copy/Paste Export Control Number Incrementation Interchange Summary Report Trading Partner Manager Integration Find EDI Notepad has two find features, depending on whether you want to search only the text that is currently displayed in the right-hand content pane or the data found within all of a batch's transactions. Using Find for Current Displayed Text If you want to search the text that is currently displayed in the content pane, use the Edit Find command. In this context, the find feature is only considering rendered text. This means that the view mode you're currently using could affect search results. For example, searching on the phrase "Each" is much more likely to produce results in the HTML view mode because the HTML view mode is the only one that translates EDI into humanreadable business documents (for the other three modes, you'd find "EA," but not "Each"). Conversely, searching on the segment name "PO1" within a purchase order would likely not produce a match in the HTML view mode, but it would in the other three view modes. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 25

30 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Working If the Edit Find command is disabled (i.e. grayed out on the menu), it's most likely because focus is not currently on the right content pane. Click somewhere in the content pane to put it into focus and then try the Edit Find command again. Using Find Across All Transactions The Edit Find in Transactions command will search through all transactions in the batch, regardless of what's currently displayed in the content pane. This global find feature only considers transaction data, not envelope or group data. In addition, it only searches the underlying native EDI, regardless of which view might currently be selected. The search term you use is queried as a string. As long as it is found in its exact form, it will make a match. For example, as shown in the following graphic, the search term "fish" will match on "fishing" or "fishsnkassrt." However, entering "fishing assortment" as a search term would not create a match because those terms aren't found next to each other. The global find feature consolidates all matches into a single window. You can highlight any matching transaction and click the Go To button to immediately open it in the content pane. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 26

31 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Working Print When printing EDI, EDI Notepad will print it in the format of the current view mode. With the exception of the HTML view mode, you can only print what's currently displayed in the right content pane. In HTML mode, however, you can select any number of transactions from the EDI structure tree to print each one on its own page. Use the Edit Select All Transactions command to highlight and print every transaction in the batch. This command only works in conjunction with the HTML view mode. You cannot print multiple transactions in edit mode. Copy/Paste EDI Notepad's Edit Copy command is quite versatile. You can use it to: Copy one or more EDI transactions. Focus needs to be on the left-hand EDI structure tree and one or more transactions need to be highlighted at the time you perform the Edit Copy command. Tip: Use the Edit Select All Transactions command to highlight and copy every transaction in the batch. Copy a group and all its transactions. Focus needs to be on the left-hand EDI structure tree and the group needs to be highlighted at the time you perform the Edit Copy command. Copy an envelope and all its groups and transactions. Focus needs to be on the lefthand EDI structure tree and the envelope need to be highlighted at the time you perform the Edit Copy command. Copy displayed text. Whatever is highlighted in the right content pane is copied at the time you perform the Edit Copy command. Focus needs to be on the content pane. EDI components (i.e. envelopes, groups, and transactions) copied from EDI Notepad can be pasted into EDI Notepad, as long as focus is currently on the left-hand EDI structure tree. You cannot paste directly into the right content pane. If you're pasting something copied from EDI Notepad into an application other than EDI Notepad, it will be pasted in text format. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 27

32 Chapter 4: Editing & Working Working Export If you'd like to isolate a single interchange from a batch of interchanges, you can export it to a new file by highlighting the envelope in the EDI structure tree and selecting Edit Export Envelope from the menu bar. EDI Notepad will export the envelope, its associated groups, and its groups' associated transactions. Control Number Incrementation If you're using EDI Notepad to test or resend documents and your EDI system won't process documents with duplicate control numbers, the Edit Increment Control Numbers function is a convenient tool for globally incrementing all control numbers in the EDI file by one. You can also increment control numbers for just an envelope, group, or transaction by right-clicking it in the EDI structure tree and selecting "Increment Control Number" from the context menu that appears. Interchange Summary Report Select Tools Report for a summary report of all the envelopes in an EDI file. The report displays three columns of information for every envelope: sender qualifier/id, receiver qualifier/id, and control number. Trading Partner Manager Integration If you're a Softshare client and are running Softshare Vista, Softshare Delta, or Softshare ECS, EDI Notepad can access the trading partner record (as found in the Trading Partner Manager utility) of any sender/receiver ID in EDI Notepad. Simply highlight the envelope in the EDI structure tree and select Tools Trading Partners Edit Sender/ Edit Receiver. If the sender or receiver's qualifier/id pair is currently in Trading Partner Manager, the record immediately opens for editing. If the qualifier/id pair is not currently in Trading Partner Manager, you're given the opportunity to either create a new trading partner record or add the qualifier/identifier pair to an existing record. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 28

33 5 Building EDI from In addition to inserting elements, segments, and other document components into existing EDI files, as discussed previously in the Editing EDI section, you can also use Softshare EDI Notepad's insert tools to build new EDI envelopes, groups, and transactions from scratch. To build an EDI envelope from scratch 1 Select File New from the menu bar to create an envelope within a brand new EDI file. To create a new envelope within the current open EDI file, select Edit Insert Envelope. 2 EDI Notepad displays the Envelope Properties screen for you to complete. As shown in the next graphic, EDI Notepad provides default values for many of the envelope's elements, but you are welcome to override these values as necessary. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 29

34 Chapter 5: Building EDI from Although most of the default values provided here are arrived at using "common practice" logic and, therefore, cannot be globally set by you, there are two default values that you can directly determine: version and standard. These defaults can be set under the Tools Options menu. Control numbers are generated using the last nine digits of the time, represented in seconds, that has elapsed since Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 30

35 Chapter 5: Building EDI from 3 After completing the Envelope Properties screen, click OK to add the new envelope to the EDI structure tree. To build an EDI group from scratch 1 Highlight the parent envelope node from the EDI structure tree and select Edit Insert Group from the menu bar to display the Group Properties screen. As with the Envelope Properties screen, EDI Notepad provides standard default values for several of the elements on the screen, but you are welcome to override these values as necessary. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 31

36 Chapter 5: Building EDI from 2 After completing the Group Properties screen, click OK to add the new group to the EDI structure tree. To build an EDI transaction from scratch 1 Highlight the parent group node from the EDI structure tree and select Edit Insert Transaction from the menu bar to display the Transaction Properties screen, as shown in the next graphic. As with envelope and group control numbers, EDI Notepad generates transaction control numbers using the last nine digits of the time, represented in seconds, that has elapsed since You are welcome to override EDI Notepad's default transaction control number. 2 From the Transaction Properties screen, select a transaction set type from the Transaction field's drop-down menu and, if the transaction is an EDIFACT transaction, complete any other applicable properties. Click OK. 3 Highlight the newly inserted transaction from the EDI structure tree and, from the edit view mode, you will see that EDI Notepad has inserted several empty segments into the transaction, as shown in the next graphic. These are the segments that are mandatory according to the standards for the EDI version and transaction. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 32

37 Chapter 5: Building EDI from 4 To finish building your transaction, use the element editing tools and segment insertion tools discussed previously. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 33

38 6 Generating Softshare EDI Notepad can generate functional acknowledgments for any EDI envelopes opened in its interface. The functional acknowledgments will show accepted or rejected statuses, according to the standards for the EDI version and transaction. By default, the Verify that codes are legal as defined in the dictionary option is enabled under Tools Options. However, if you and your trading partners have agreed to use codes outside the EDI standard, you may disable this option. When this option is disabled, EDI Notepad no longer validates code values, nor does it reject invalid code values on the functional acknowledgments that it generates. To generate a functional acknowledgment 1 From the EDI structure tree, highlight the interchange (i.e. envelope node) you would like to generate a functional acknowledgment for. 2 Select Tools Create Functional Acknowledgment from the menu bar. EDI Notepa 3 d generates the functional acknowledgment in the same instance of EDI Notepad. You can send your newly generated functional acknowledgment using EDI Notepad's send feature, as discussed in the next chapter. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 34

39 7 Sending EDI From Softshare EDI Notepad, you can the current EDI file as an attachment. To the current EDI file 1 Select File Send from the menu bar to display the Send To screen. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 35

40 Chapter 7: Sending EDI 2 In the Send to, As Coming From, and Subject fields, enter standard header information. 3 In the Attachment Name field, enter the name you would like assigned to the EDI file you are sending. 4 In the Server field, enter the IP address or host name of your mail server. 5 If your recipient's network requires SMTP authentication, enter appropriate user name and password into the Mail Username and Mail Password fields. Softshare's network requires SMTP authentication. If you're a Softshare network client and would like to send an EDI file to your Softshare mailbox, you'll need to enter your Softshare mailbox number and password into these fields. 6 Click OK to send the . By default, EDI Notepad will warn you if you're sending EDI that contains errors. You can disable this warning from Tools Options. Softshare EDI Notepad Overview Guide Table of Contents 36