Creating Fields

Each record you create contains a group of logically-related application fields. These fields define the structure and content of the data to the system.

The easiest way to add application fields to a record is to use the Positional Field Editor. Generally, you create the fields for the first record in the application file, and then proceed with each sequential record.

Note: Do not define fields with the purpose of using the field to explicitly contain the record tag. This is because the system takes the tag that you define in the record into account when the automatic sequencing (Auto Position) feature is used. We recommend that you define the record tag on the Positional Record Properties dialog box.

See Creating Subsequent Records for more information about the Positional Record Properties dialog box.

Use this procedure to create the application fields for a record.

  1. Right-click the application record and select Edit Fields.

    The system displays the Positional Field Editor dialog box.

  2. If this is the first field in the record, click New. Otherwise, highlight the field that precedes the field you are creating and click New.

    The system displays a highlight bar in the Fields section where the new field is positioned.

  3. In the Name box, type the field name.
    Notes:
    • Each application field must have a unique name. It is useful to tag the end of the fields that occur in multiple records with a suffix that identifies the record that contains it.
    • Do not use spaces or dashes (-) in the field name. You can use the underscore (_) to separate words.
  4. If you want to designate the field as mandatory, select Mandatory.
  5. In the Description box, type a description of the field.
  6. From the Data Type list, select the type of the field:
    • String - alpha element
    • Number - numeric or real element
    • Date/Time - date or time element
  7. From the Format list, select how the field is formatted.
    Notes:
    • The choices for this field depend on the type of field you selected from the Data Type list. If you choose Number or Date/Time in the Data Type box, you can select the data format from the Format list. If you selected String from the Data Type box, you should type a syntax token to denote that this field must be formatted as the specified syntax token dictates (the default syntax token is X).
    • When you installed Sterling Gentran:Server®, you assigned a default format to the string fields. This format serves as the basis for character validation. Most U.S. users use a default format that corresponds to ASCII characters (the X syntax token). Most users of Asian or European languages and encoded character sets should use the Free Format (0x01-0xFF).

    See Using Syntax Tokens for more information.

  8. If you want to indicate the exact position of the field in the record, type the starting position of the field in the Start Pos box.
    Note: You want to specify field start positions if, for example, you are only using a few fields but you want them positioned exactly in the record. The alternative to specifying the start position of each field, is to add the fields sequentially in the record and then use the Auto Position function.
  9. Enter the minimum and maximum number of characters for this field.
  10. Click New.

    The system adds the field and creates a new field with blank values ready for you to identify, which is positioned below the field.

  11. Create the rest of the fields according to your record layout.
  12. Click Delete to stop adding fields.
  13. After adding the last field, if you want the system to automatically position the fields in the record, click Auto Position.
  14. Repeat steps 2 through 13 to create as many fields as you need. When you are done, click Close.

    For inbound maps, you may want to use a literal constant to move a value into an application field that has no corresponding EDI data (you cannot link the field directly to an EDI element).

    See Mapping Literal Constants for more information about mapping a constant to a field.