Re: EDI Using Informix

At 12:44 10.24.95 PDT, DTTS wrote: >>> We're interested in implementing "classical" EDI ... >>> Has anyone use or written Informix code for this purpose? > <stuff removed> >If you are only dealing with one or two trading pardners and your data >transfer needs are relatively simple, I personally would not recommend ANSI >X12. It was designed by a committee and the government is pushing it. That >should tell you something. I would disagree about using ANSI X12. i.e. I would absolutely suggest you use ANSI X12 or if you do international business consider EDIFACT. Whether you purchase a translator or write your own for the limited transactions you use, stick to ANSI so you don't get burned in the future. The last thing a trading partner needs is to try to integrate a partner who has their own proprietary format for data transfer. if you stick with X.12 at least you won't be someone else's pain-in-the-rear. I certainly wouldn't *expect* a potential trading partner to use my flat format over theirs, so if you want to do business you have to then recreate the wheel everytime you bring in a new partner. Not using X.12 will cause pain in the long run plain and simple. Once you are up and running with X12 all you need to do to implement a new partner is to allow for the typical agreed upon variances from the standard (if need be), Not create a new partner-specific translator. It can get very ugly very fast without standards. I have implemented TDCC and X12 for a major aerospace firm using standards and witnessed the pain and suffering of having to use others proprietary formats at a large financial firm. The aerospace firm now 'snaps in' new partners with ease, the financial firm has to rewrite or tweak their process to bring in anyone new and they have no leverage to use any one of the proprietary formats they have in place. Stick with standards (such as they may be) and you will save a boatload of heartache. just my $.02 Ward Kaatz Fourgen Software