Split, Merge and Envelope¶

Splitting EDI files¶

One edi-file can contain several edi-message. Eg:

• one edifact file, multiple ORDERs.
• one x12 file, multiple 850’s.
• export routine of your ERP software puts all exported invoices in one file
• email with multiple edi-attachments

A bots mapping works best for one message (one order, one invoice). So Bots splits up edi-files:

• Incoming email: different attachments are saved as a separate edi-files.

• Receiving zipped edi files: the files in the zip-file as saved as separate edi-files.

• For edifact, x12, tradacoms: interchanges are being split up to separate files.

• Incoming edi-files are being fed to the mapping-script as messages. This is done by nextmessage in the grammar syntax.

• Spit within a mapping script. Think of eg splitting up a shipment to the different orders. There are 2 ways of doing this:

  1. Write multiple message to the same file .
  2. Write each generated message to the same file, using alt translations.

Merge/Envelope EDI message¶

Reasons to merge/envelope edi files:

• Your ERP-system expects one file (message-queue) with fixed records
• Your edi-partners wants to limit the number of edi-files/interchanges received.
• costs: this can reduce transmission costs for some VAN’s
• It is better to have one file with outgoing invoices than 165 separate files ;-)

Merge options:

• Merging: if the ‘merge’ parameter is set in the syntax of the outgoing message, bots will try to merge seperate messages to one file. Messages are only merged if: same from-partner, same to-partner, same editype, same messagetype, same testindicator, same characterset, same envelope.
• Enveloping: (edifact, x12, tradacoms) bots will envelope these messages (add UNB-UNZ for edifact, ISA-GS-GE-IEA for x12). Enveloping is independent from merging: bots can envelope without merging, or merge without enveloping.
• Write to a message-queue in outgoing channel: if you use a fixed filename in an outgoing channel, bots will append all messages to this file. This is often used in eg a configuration where all orders go to one file containing all incoming orders in fixed file format.

Envelope Scripting¶

You can use an envelopescript to do custom enveloping for edifact, x12, tradacoms, xml. Exit points that can be used:

1. ta_infocontent(ta_info)

   • At start of enveloping process. ta_info cotains the values that are used to write the envelope; you can change these values.

2. envelopecontent(ta_info,out)

   • after bots has built the envelope tree you can make changes to the envelope tree by using put(), change() etc.

Functions should be in bots/usersys/envelopescripts/<editype>/<editype>.py, eg:

• bots/usersys/envelopescripts/edifact/edifact.py
• bots/usersys/envelopescripts/x12/x12.py

Example 1

Note that this affects all outgoing edifact documents. Add conditional logic if needed. In file bots/usersys/envelopescripts/edifact/edifact.py:

def envelopecontent(ta_info,out,*args,**kwargs):
    ''' Add extra fields to the edifact envelope.'''
    out.put({'BOTSID':'UNB','S002.0008': 'PARTNER1'}) #Interchange sender internal identification
    out.put({'BOTSID':'UNB','S003.0014': 'PARTNER2'}) #Interchange recipient internal identification
    out.put({'BOTSID':'UNB','0029': 'A'})             #Processing priority code
    out.put({'BOTSID':'UNB','0032': 'EANCOM'})        #Interchange agreement identifier

Example 2

In file bots/usersys/envelopescripts/edifact/edifact.py:

def ta_infocontent(ta_info,*args,**kwargs):
    ''' function is called before envelope tree is made.
        values in ta_info will be used to create envelope.
    '''
    if ta_info['topartner'] == '1111111111111':
        ta_info['topartner'] = 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
        ta_info['UNB.S003.0014'] = '012345'

Example 3

In file bots/usersys/envelopescripts/edifact/edifact.py:

def envelopecontent(ta_info,out,*args,**kwargs):
    ''' function is called after envelope tree is made, but not written yet.
        manipulate envelope tree itself.
    '''
    if ta_info['topartner'] == '1111111111111':
        out.change(where=({'BOTSID':'UNB'},),change={'S003.0010': 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'}) #field S003.0010 (receiver) is written to envelope tree
        out.put({'BOTSID':'UNB','S003.0014': '012345'}) #field S003.0014 is written to envelope tree
        ta_info['topartner'] = 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'      #takes only care of changing the partnerID in bots interface (does not change envelope itself)