Code List Tables

Code List Tables are used by EDI standards as repositories for lists of codes. Each EDI standard provides a code list for each element that can be further defined with a code. Sterling Gentran:Server® allows you to load code lists from the standard. You can either load all the codes in the table, or you can select only one or more codes from the table.

Use Code Standard Rule

Once you load or create a code table, you can use a "Use Code" standard rule. For screen entry translation objects, you can use it to select an element from a list that contains a predefined code table. You can also specify whether or not a compliance error is generated if the element does not contain one of the values in the code table. For print translation objects, the Use Code function enables you to extract and print the description of a code and validate the contents of a element against the values in the code table for print translation objects.

Code list function

The Code List function also enables you to store a code's description in an element/field, create a unique code table, use code values from a code table, and flag whether or not the system will generate an error if a validation against the code table fails. You can import and export code lists and copy and paste code lists between forms.

An element with a Use Code standard rule applied to it allows values to either be checked against or selected from the codes in a specified code table. Codes are typically used to further qualify the element.

For example

The Product/Service ID (0234) element contains a product code that you expect to be the customer's product code. If you receive a value in that element that is something other than the customer's product code, you want the system to generate an error. So, you first use the code table for the Product/Service ID Qualifier (0235), but specify when you load it that the code table should only include the code "BP." In this code table, the code "BP" is described as a "Buyer’s Part Number." Then, you make the 0235 code table exclusive for the Product/Service ID Qualifier (0235) element. Therefore, by using this code with the qualifier for the Product/Service ID element, you are indicating that the Product/Service ID element must contain not just a product code, but product code from the customer.

Code List Table functions

You can perform the following functions with Code List Tables:

  • Defining a Code List
  • Modifying a Code List or Code List Entry
  • Deleting a Code List or Code List Entry
  • Importing a Code List
  • Exporting a Code List
  • Loading Code Tables from the Standard
  • Copying and Pasting Code Lists
  • Validating Data Against Code List Tables
  • Loading Code Item Descriptions