Storing EDI Code Value Descriptions

Sterling Gentran:Server® enables you to store code value descriptions in code storage fields. This feature is useful for elements that contain an EDI code, and for which you want to print the description of the code instead of or in addition to the code itself. You set up a standard rule to direct the system to look up an EDI code value, find the description for that value, and to display the description in another field.

You might use this feature if, for example, you have a code list that contains given names and you want the corresponding last names loaded in the descriptive element.

Use this procedure to store an EDI code value description in a code storage field.

  1. Double-click the element for which you need to load a code value description.

    The system displays the Element Properties dialog box (Name tab).

  2. Click the Standard Rule tab.
  3. From the standard rule list, select Use Code.
  4. From the code list, select the code list table that the data in this element will be validated against. If the Tables list is empty, you need to load a code table.

    See Loading a Code List Table from the Standard for more information.

  5. If you need to specify that, for compliance reasons, the element must contain one of the codes from the specified table (nothing else is valid for that field), select the compliance error check box.
  6. From the store description list, the element to which you want the description of the code item (that is used) to be mapped to when the selection is made.

    For example, if the code you used is "BP," it would be useful to view the description of the code ("Buyer's Part Number"). If you selected element "0350" from the Store Field list, the description for the BP code is mapped to element "0350."

  7. Click OK to add this standard rule to the element.