1. Problem
You need to map an 837 EDI document to a document structure that matches an internal system.
2. Solution
You simply need to add a map to
your Visual Studio project that contains the source and target schemas.
Take the following steps to add a new map to your project:
Right-click the project in Visual Studio, and select Add→New Item.
Select the Map template, give it a descriptive name, and click Add.
Set the source and target schemas.
Use functoids and other mapping techniques to implement the logic needed.
3. How It Works
EDI maps are often
notoriously complex. Some document types that are quite simple and don't
require much in the way of mapping, but many EDI schemas are extremely
complex and require careful planning, thoughtful development, many hours
(or days or weeks!) of development, and a great deal of patience for
administration and maintenance. An example of a complex EDI map is shown
in Figure 1. Such a map is not an uncommon sight when you're walking into an existing EDI solution.
NOTE
When developing EDI
maps, always think of the next person who is going to have to work with
your map. If you can't remember where a functoid is or how a set of
mappings works, you can't expect someone six months from now to
understand what you have done. If a map becomes too complex, you can
always work in a custom XSLT document, a .NET component, or other
alternative mapping interface.
