pub.flatFile:FormatService

Use this specification when you create format services for fields in a flat file schema or dictionary. The format service is invoked for a field when the pub.flatFile:convertToValues and pub.flatFile:convertToString services are invoked. You create a format service to format the field String and ensure that the value of the String meets the format restrictions of the format service. When creating a particular format service for use with the Format Service property in a flat file schema or dictionary, the service you select must implement the pub.flatFile:FormatService specification (located on its Input/Output tab).

Important:

If a particular field does not have a value (that is, a value is not returned in the IS document (IData object) for the pub.flatFile:convertToValues service or is not present in the input data for the pub.flatFile:convertToValues service) the format service assigned to that field will not be executed.

value

String The field value to format.

direction

String Indicates the type of formatting to be applied to the field. Specify one of the following:

Value

Description

convertToString

This field is in an outbound document and needs its internal format converted to its external format.

convertToValues

This field is in an inbound document and needs its external format converted to its internal format.

validate

String The value of the input parameter validate from the pub.flatFile:convertToValues service.

true

The value of the convertToValues validate parameter is true (validate).

false

The value of the convertToValues validate parameter is false (do not validate). This value is always false when the value of the direction parameter is convertToString.

minLength

String Enables you to validate the minimum length of a field. If the field is extracted via a Fixed Position Extractor, this is the number of bytes that are extracted. If the field is not extracted via the Fixed Position Extractor and a Length Validator is associated with this field, this is the minimum length that will be considered valid. Otherwise, this parameter will not be present in the pipeline.

maxLength

String Enables you to validate the maximum length of a field. If the field is extracted via a Fixed Position Extractor, this is the number of bytes that are extracted. If the field is not extracted via the Fixed Position Extractor and a Length Validator is associated with this field, this is the maximum length that will be considered valid. If the maximum length is unlimited (–1) or there is no Length Validator, this parameter will not be present in the pipeline.

FormatInfo

Document Information that can be used by individual formatting services. This information can be obtained from one of 3 locations:

convertToString – You can specify FormatInfo in addition to the delimiter information for a call to this service.

convertToValues – If delimiter information is explicitly passed into the convertToValues service, FormatInfo can be specified.

From the UNEDIFACT UNA segment – The EDI document type automatically extracts the decimal separator from the UNA segment.

The only format services that use this feature are the decimal formatting services (for implied decimal and decimal formats). The FormatInfo IS document should contain a string called DecimalCharacter. If the decimal character is ‘,’ the number would be formatted as 100,10 (European format) instead of 100.10, as is common in the US.

Note:

Changes to the data in this object will be reflected in all other format services that are invoked during execution of convertToString and convertToValues.

formattedValue

String The field value with appropriate formatting applied.

meetsFormat

String Whether the value could be formatted properly.

Value

Description

true

Indicates that the value could be properly formatted.

false

Indicates that the value could not be properly formatted.

errorMessage

String If meetsFormat is false, this parameter provides a text message describing the formatting error.

valueToValidate

String The value that will be used by the validator for this field. If this value is not present, the value passed in the input variable value will be validated. This field is used only for situations in which the input variable validate is set to true.