Specification of Input Data Fields Tab
This section includes the fields and descriptions for the Specification of Input Data Fields tab.
Field Description Island
Field | Description |
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Record ID | This field displays the record ID assigned to the current input data field. When you create an input data field, you must write the name of the record ID that should be assigned to the field. You cannot change record IDs assigned to existing input data fields.
By specifying a record ID, you split up fields in groups. On any given record it is possible to assign a record meaning that all fields with the specified ID are assigned to the field and displayed in the table part of the record in question. Maconomy presupposes that all fields with the specified record ID exist in the specified record in the file to be imported. |
Field No. | In this field, you can specify a field number. The field number decides the order in which fields from the same record are read. |
Description | In this field, you can enter a short description of the role of the current input data field in the input data format. |
Field Condition Island
Field | Description |
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Field Identification | In this field you can specify the ID of the correct field according to the format specifications. When the customer payment file is read, Maconomy checks if the current field has the ID specified in this field. If this is not the case, Maconomy checks if the field with the ID specified in this field must be completed (that is, if the field “Mandatory Completion” below is marked).
If the field “Mandatory Completion” is marked, Maconomy will report an error, and the reading will be aborted. If the field “Mandatory Completion” is not marked, Maconomy will repeat this routine for the next record in the row (as specified in the field “Next Record”). This way you can allow formats which permit a variable number of fields for each record. Example: A payment record in a file contains the fields “&03,” “&05,” “&06,” “&23,” and “&24.” The next record contains the fields “&03,” “&05,” “&23,” and “&24.” Since the field with the field ID “&06” does not have a mark in the field “Mandatory Completion,” reading the customer payment file will not result in an error when reading the second record where the field “&06” is missing. |
Mandatory Completion | If this field is marked, the field whose ID is specified in the field “Field Identification” above must be completed. See the description of that field above. |
Variable Operations Island
Field | Description |
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1-10 | In these fields, you can specify calculation formulas for the variables specified for the current format in the window Specification of Input Data Formats. The number refers to the variable with the corresponding number in the window Specification of Input Data Formats; variable 1 = variable 1, variable 2 = variable 2, and so on.
The variable operation takes place right before the actual field is imported. Fields are imported from the record to which they are assigned. As an example of a calculation you can add the amount from the current customer payment file to the variable which specifies the total amount for the entire payment file. If you have specified that variable 5 is of the type “Amount Field” in the window Specification of Input Data Formats, you can write the following in no. 5 in this island: #VARIABLE.5 + #INPUTDATALINE.AMOUNTCURRENCY The result is that variable 5 is assigned the value of variable 5 plus the amount from the current customer payment record. In this way, the total payment sum for all records in summed up in all sections. It is also possible to refer to the special variable #VARIABLE.0, which contains the value currently being imported from the payment file. In “Appendix D: Reference Fields in Format Specifications” in the Reference Manual you can find a list of all fields that can be referred to. |
Field Contents Island
In this island, you specify information about the field’s format and contents.
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Field Type | In this field, you must specify the field type. The type is validated when you import the file. The following options are available:
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Contents | In this field, you specify the contents of the field. The contents depend on the value specified in the field “Field Type” below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents Type | In this field, you can specify which field type you are referring to. The type is verified when the file is imported.
The following types exist:
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Format | In this field, you can specify the format of the field. The contents of this field depend on the field contents type specified in the field “Contents Type.”
For text fields, you can combine multiple format definitions using a space, for example: #REMOVEBLANKS #SUBSTITUTETEXT |
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Fixed Length | If no character or code has been specified as a field delimiter in the window Specification of Input Data Formats, you can specify the fixed number of characters of the data field in this field. If a field delimiter has been specified, for example, “#TAB” for tab-separated files, then the length of the field is defined as the number of character between one tab character to the next or to EOF (End of File). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Min. Length | In this field, you can specify a minimum length of the current input data field, if the field uses a character or code as a field delimiter. A specification in this field also indicates that the field must be completed.
If no field delimiter is used, the field may, for example, be used in connection with the reading of a bank account number. Such a field has the type “Text Field,” and in the field “Format” the format specification “#REMOVEPRECEDINGZEROS” will be specified. In order not to remove zeroes from bank account numbers that actually begin with a “0,” the minimum length is set to “7” in this field, which would permit a bank account number such as this: “0123456.” |
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Max. Length | In this field, you can specify a maximum length of the current input data field. Maconomy automatically sets the value in this field to equal the field “Fixed Length,” if no character or code is used as field delimiter. If the value in the import file is longer, an error message is displayed when you read the file. |
User Island
Field | Description |
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Created | This field shows the date and name of the user who created the data field. |
Changed | This field shows the date and name of the user who recently made changes to the data field. |
Version | This field shows the latest version number of the data field. The number is incremented by one each time a change is made to the data field. |