Overview of Processing Flat Files

Using the services in the webMethods WmFlatFile package, you can exchange all types of flat files and process certain types of flat files. You create flat file schemas to convert and validate inbound flat files and to create outbound flat files.

The following diagram summarizes the services that the WmFlatFile package provides to process flat files: pub.flatFile:convertToValues and pub.flatFile:convertToString. For descriptions, see the table that follows the diagram below.

Note: If you are also using Trading Networks, see the sections about flat file TN document types in webMethods Trading Networks User’s Guide and webMethods Trading Networks Administrator’s Guide for information about how Trading Networks processes flat files.

Item	Description
Flat File (ffData)	Flat file input with type of String, InputStream, or ByteArray (received by the Integration Server via File Polling, HTTP, FTP, etc. For more information, see Sending and Receiving Flat Files.)
Conversion/Validation Services	WmFlatFile package provides services (pub.flatFile:convertToValues and pub.flatFile:convertToString) that parse, validate, and convert inbound flat files to IS documents (IData objects), and construct outbound documents from IS documents. For more information about these services, see webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.
Flat File Schema	Flat File schema containing the structure of the flat file.
IS Doc (ffValues)	An IS document (IData object) represents the structure and values of your flat file for eventual mapping or other processing. All inbound documents must be converted to IS documents before being processed further.