idw data formats
TRANSCRIPT
One Connection.
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IDW File Formats
Presented by:
Josh Given, IT Platform Support Manager
Robert Hollands, Systems Administrator
One Connection.
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• The primary methods for loading data
– EDI
– XML
– Flat-file
– Microsoft Excel
• Basics & example of each
• Pros & Cons
• How to use in IDW
• Documentation Review
Overview
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• Available in the IDW under Advanced > Information > Documents
Documentation
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• EDI Basics
– Segments and elements
– ISA segment is fixed width, defines delimiters & trading partner
– Delimiters
– Qualifiers and values
– Different documents for different functions
• An Example
EDI
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EDI Pros & Cons
EDI
• Pros
– Longevity
– Fast processing
– Diverse business applications
– Based on standards
• Cons
– Not human-readable
– Esoteric knowledge
– Bespoke development
– Not flexible
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How to use in IDW
EDI
• Drag and drop into your IDW FTP folder
• Use your IDX mailbox
– IDEA sets this up for you
– Files transmitted through VAN
• Documentation
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• XML basics
– Extensible Markup Language
– Describes how data should be stored and transported
• An example
XML
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XML Pros & Cons
XML
• Pros
– Flexible: can define own data model and tags
– Can loop fields using parent/child relationships
– Easy to produce and consume
– Both human and machine readable
• Cons
– Greater IT investment
– Larger file size
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How to use in IDW
XML
• UNSPSC Schema Attribute Format
– First XML format available in the IDW
• Full B-View XML Format
– Also captures the UNSPSC Schema Attribute data
– Use the documentation provided in the IDW
• For more information
– Please attend the session called “IDW XML Format”• 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM in Key West C
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• Flat-file basics
– Opposite of relational data
– Columns and rows
– Delimited values
• An example
Flat-files
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Flat-file Pros & Cons
Flat-files
• Pros
– Human-readable
– Can be viewed/edited easily
– Many apps already designed to consume flat-files
• Cons
– Limited, no looping fields
– Difficult to add fields dynamically
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How to use in IDW
Flat-files
• One flat-file format per B-View
• Drop individual flat-files into IDW FTP folder
– Remember, B1 must come first!
• Pipe-delimited
• Custom flat-file formats available for distributors
– There’s also a “Limited Fields” extract for 43 critical fields
• Documentation
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• Excel basics
– Proprietary Microsoft spreadsheet software
– Data stored in ranges on worksheets in workbooks
• An example
Excel
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Excel Pros & Cons
Excel
• Pros
– Everyone uses Excel
– Very powerful
– Easy to manipulate data in familiar ways
• Cons
– Behaves like a flat-file in IDW
– Formatting needs to be taken into account
– More difficult to integrate programmatically
– Expensive
– Imposes data limitations
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How to use in IDW
Excel
• Use is identical to flat-file
• Drop the file into your IDW FTP folder
• IDW only processes the first worksheet found