RE: AS2 XML requirements (was Re: HL7 Standards Process)

["Dick Brooks" <dick@xxxxxxxx>]

Wes,

> Furthermore, if all you know about a message is that it is encoded in the
> XML syntax you really don't know enough to do an EDI function on the
> message. The EDI standards specify a lot more than syntax and these
> specifications are very much a part of the interface contract. [snip]

You are right on, that's why AS2 has a header field called
"Transaction-Set". The sender uses this header to identify
exactly what type of data is contained in the payload (regardless of the
encoding syntax X12, XML. et al). For example, GISB uses the same ANSI X12
850 transaction set for different purposes so they created transaction set
identifiers (e.g. G850NMST or G850RQCF) to provide more precision when
identifying a payload.  A sender would insert either "G850NMST" or
"G850RQCF" in the "transaction-set" header, this way the receiving party can
"dispatch" processing to different "process flows" based on the "transaction
set" identifier.


Dick Brooks
Group 8760
110 12th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203
dick@xxxxxxxx
205-250-8053
Fax: 205-250-8057
http://www.8760.com/

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