Control of File Selection when Importing Partner Data
When setting up the EDI import paths, it is vital to ensure that the combination of Transaction Type > Mapping Code > File to be imported matches. If this is not the case, this will cause an error when converting the partner data into the EDI in-house format and you will not be able to import the partner's files. The Mapping Code represents the respective format in which the data to be imported is available.
Therefore, it must be ensured that the files found that match the specifications in the Path and File Name fields of the import paths are all of the same transaction type and in the same format. If this is not the case, the partner data transfer is terminated because the conversion would use the wrong mapping for the conversion of the files.
If, for example, there is a file in the specified path C:\Import data\EANCOM\ORDERS under the file name *.txt which cannot be converted with the EANCOM D96A mapping code because it is a transaction other than a sales order (ORDERS_IMP) or a format other than EANCOM D96A, then the transfer of this data will not be possible because it would terminate.
However, if your data transfer software is not able to store the partner data to be imported according to transaction type and format in different directories or under different file names, or if other technical restrictions speak against it, then you need a possibility to select the data to be transferred in COSMO EDI and move it to different directories from where the files are then transferred.
The same requirement can occur if, for example, all orders (transaction ORDERS_IMP) from different customers are in the same format (for example, Mapping Code = EANCOM D96A) in one directory, but you want the orders to be transferred to be split up by sales coordinator and therefore into different journals.
COSMO EDI offers you the option to check the content of the files and move them to another directory before importing them, using the Controlling function in the import paths. The application opens every found file and examines the content according to the specified texts. If these texts are found, the file is moved to the specified directory and can then be imported from there.
Setup of the Control for File Selection in the Import Paths
Select the line in the import paths in which you want to store a control for file selection.
Then choose Navigate > Controlling on the import path line.
To create a new control for the current import path line, choose Home > New.
In the page that opens, you can specify the destination path to which the found files should be moved. The partner data is then transferred from there.
General FastTab
The fields in the EDI Imp. Path Controlling page, on the General FastTab are described in the following table.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Source Path | The original path from the line of the Import Path table is displayed here. |
| File Name | The original file name from the line of the Import Path table is displayed here. |
| Destination Path | Specify the directory to which the files containing the specified search terms will be moved. From this directory the files of COSMO EDI are finally transferred. |
| Description | Here you can enter any description regarding the control of the file selection. |
On the Lines FastTab, you can enter as many entries as you like for a search description that is searched for within the file. If COSMO EDI finds the specified search descriptions in the file, the file is moved to the destination path. If the search descriptions are not found, the file remains in the source path.
Note that all specified search descriptions must be present in the file to make the file available for moving. If one of the search descriptions is not found, the file will not be moved.
In this example, the file must contain the descriptions Intercompany ID = and Document Type = Order in order to move it from the source path to the destination path.
Lines FastTab
The field in the EDI Imp. Path Controlling, on the Lines FastTab is described in the following table.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Search Description | Here you enter the text that must be included in the found files to move them to the destination path. All search descriptions must be included in the file in order for the file to be moved. When searching in the file for the search descriptions, the search is case sensitive. Please take this into account when entering the search description. |
You can define any number of controls for the current line of the import paths. Thus, theoretically all files to be imported of all formats and transactions could be stored centrally in one directory. By setting up controls for file selection and moving files based on their content, you can directly influence in which directory the file is finally stored before it is transferred by COSMO EDI.
Characteristics of the Import Path Controlling
When using controls for file selection in the import paths, there are a number of features to be considered that should be explicitly mentioned here.
For example, the original file name is kept after moving the file. Consequently, it is not possible to rename the file when moving it. Therefore, you may need to create additional directories to store the files in a transaction and format appropriate way.
Also note that when you set up such controls, you always need a second import line, which is then used to transfer the partner data. The file selection control only moves files from the path specified in the import paths to the new destination path. Only the files that remain in the original path are transferred, not those that have been moved to the new destination path. To transfer this data, you must set up a second import line which contains the new destination path stored as path in the control.
In the example above and described, the files corresponding to the search descriptions are moved to the new destination path by setting up the control.
Therefore, you have to set up at least a second import line that contains the new destination path specified here in the path so that the moved files are also transferred.
The prerequisite for using the control for file selection is, of course, that you can identify the message type and format of a file based on its content. With EDIFACT messages, this is relatively simple, because in these messages, information on the message type and message format is an integral part of the data structure. If you exchange CSV files or similar, this is not necessarily the case.
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