Customizing the DTM:201 Element

In this tutorial, you use two iterations of the DTM segment (Date/Time Reference). The first active DTM segment in the invoice (the DTM:2 segment) is used to enter the contract date of the invoice. The DTM:2 segment you customize first is in the IT1 group (on the Line Items frame) and specifies the date on which each item in the invoice was shipped. You already changed the maximum use of the DTM:2 segment so that its associated fields are displayed on the same frame as the PID:2 and IT1 fields.

The DTM:201 element (Date/Time Qualifier) is a mandatory element for the DTM:2 segment. The DTM:201 element contains the three-character code from your EDI data to indicate what type of date follows (e.g., date shipped). You define a constant value for the Date/Time Qualifier field, designating that the constant "011" qualifies the date in the Date field.

When a user enters the date on which the item was shipped in the Date field, the system automatically assigns the code 011 to the Date/Time Qualifier field. The user does not need to enter the code in the qualifier field, so the qualifier field does not need to be displayed.

Use this procedure to define a constant and hide the Date/Time Qualifier field.

  1. Double-click the DTM:201 element.
  2. On the Standard Rule tab, do the following:
    • Select Use Constant.
    • Click Edit to access the Map Constants dialog.
  3. On the Map Constants dialog, click New to access the Edit Constant dialog.
  4. On the Edit Constant dialog, do the following:
    • In the ID box, enter Date Shipped to identify the constant.
    • From the Type list, select String.
    • In the Value box, enter 011. The Date/Time Qualifier field contains the Date Shipped.. This value is the actual value of the literal constant.
    • Click OK to add the constant.
  5. Click Close to exit the Map Constants dialog.
  6. On the Standard Rule tab, do the following:
    • From the Constants list, select 011.
    • From the Qualifies list, select 0373:6 DATE, which is the element that the Date/Time Qualifier field qualifies.
  7. On the Display tab, select This field should not appear on the form.
  8. Click OK to exit the dialog.