Originally posted by: JGibby

From time to time we will receive an X12 file that has a Terminator Delimiter that is not valid. The DSTX/WTX X12 Type Trees have a restriction list on the Terminator Delimiter. We have read the X12 Reference Standards to indicate that there are recommended delimiters, but the sender is not required to use them and may substitute their own. (I can't cite you the source for that currently.) We have therefore modified our X12 Type Trees to include this non-standard character(s) in the restriction list for the Terminator Delimiter.

So I have a couple of questions. One, am I reading the reference correctly that the Terminator Delimiter can be user-defined? Two, what would the ramifications be of just removing the restriction list from the Terminator Delimiter? It would seem the rules for parsing the ISA envelope would hold valid and correctly validate w/o the Terminator Delimiter restriction list.

Thanks,
John
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Originally posted by: FormerBuckeye

I have had to do the same thing (add a non-standard character to the restriction list). The value of using the restriction list, IMO, is to help verify the integrity of the incoming data. I have had instances where the record structure has been compromised by the transmission (rare) or by an unintended change by a trading partner. Substantive data errors can go unnoticed in large files and often the only hint that the trading partner broke something is when the translation catches an seemingly unrelated error like a bad delimiter.
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Originally posted by: JGibby

Thanks for the reply, FB. I didn't see the email that you had posted.

I actually developed a map to "normalize" the terminator delimiter, and the composite & element delimiters also, to the standard set of delimiters. I then turned the logic for it over to another developer to incorporate it into our UNIX scripts to fix those rogue terminator delimiters before we even validate it as X12. I'm confident of the logic of the normalization process and we throw exceptions if there are any warnings. But I would love to find out if removing the restriction list for terminator delimiter would cause problems.

I guess the only answer will come from testing it out which I will do in my copious amount of spare time...

Thanks,
John
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Originally posted by: KK_WTX

Hi,

In the terminator normally you have 3 options like
1)NONE

Here you don't have any delimiters in the input end.

2)Literal

Here it will take only one default value(it won't accept more than one if i am correct)

3)Variable

Here it will accept all the terminators presented in the restriction list. Before that you have to put the FIND option as YES than only it will accept all the terminators presented in the restriction list.You have to add the all possible terminators in the restrictions list to pass the input data.

If you delete all the restrictions than how the map will validate for different terminators..?

Solution : You have to add all the possible terminators and Find option as-->YES .

Thanks,
KK.
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