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Generating an Instance (EDI)

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You can generate a message instance from an EDI schema at design time. To do so, you use the XML Tool extensions to BizTalk Server in the Visual Studio environment.

You can generate either a complete batched interchange (with interchange and group headers) or a transaction set (without interchange and group headers). If you execute the operation to generate a complete interchange, BizTalk Server will generate a file with one interchange header, a group for each schema, and three identical transaction sets per group for each schema. If you execute the operation to generate a transaction set, BizTalk Server will generate a file with a single transaction set.

To generate a complete batched interchange, you execute the generate-instance command on the batch schema. BizTalk Server will detect the message schemas in the project, and will automatically include transaction sets for those schemas.

To generate a single transaction set, you execute the generate-instance command on a message schema. In this case, the batch schema does not need to be added to the project. The generated instance will not include an interchange or group header, however, so you will have to add those manually to have a functional EDI interchange.

When you generate an instance, BizTalk Server displays a dialog box in which you specify the configuration used in that instance, including separators and the syntax identifier.

Prerequisites

You must be logged on as a member of the BizTalk Server Administrators group.

To generate an instance of a batched interchange

  1. In Visual Studio, open a project. Add a message schema to the project in Solution Explorer for each type of transaction set that you want in the message instance. Add the batch schema for the type of encoding to the project: either Edifact_BatchSchema.xsd or X12_BatchSchema.xsd.

    Note

    The batch schemas are located in the \Program Files (x86)\Microsoft BizTalk Server <VERSION>XSD_Schema\EDI folder.

    Note

    You do not have to build the project to generate an instance.

  2. Right-click the batch schema in Solution Explorer, and then click Properties.

  3. In the Properties window, set Generate Instance Output Type to Native or XML. Selecting Native will prompt generation of a flat file with a .txt extension. Selecting XML will prompt generation of an XML file.

  4. For Output Instance Filename, enter a name or browse to a file and select the file.

    Note

    If you do not enter a value for the output instance filename, one will be chosen for you. The filename will be displayed in the Output window of Visual Studio.

    Note

    If you select an existing file, the contents of the existing file will be replaced with the content generated by this operation.

  5. Right-click the batch schema and then click Generate Instance.

  6. In the EDI Instance Properties dialog box, select the separators, identifiers, and other configuration options to be used in that instance, and then click OK.

  7. Verify that the operation worked in the Output window.

  8. To view the file, press Control and click the link in the Output window. Visual Studio will display the contents of the file in the BizTalk Editor window.

    Note

    When generating an instance that contains an 837I, 837D, or 837P, the value of GS08 will be incorrectly set to 00401. For more information, see Known Issues with XML Tools Used with EDI Solutions.

To generate an instance of a transaction set

  1. In Visual Studio, open a project. Add the schema for the type of transaction set that you want to generate an instance for.

    Note

    You do not have to add the batch schema to the project to generate an instance of a transaction set.

    Note

    You do not have to build the project to generate an instance.

  2. Right-click the message schema in Solution Explorer, and then click Properties.

  3. In the Properties window, set Generate Instance Output Type to Native or XML. Selecting Native will prompt generation of a flat file with a .txt extension. Selecting XML will prompt generation of an XML file.

  4. For Output Instance Filename, enter a name or browse to a file and select the file.

    Note

    If you do not enter a value for the output instance filename, one will be chosen for you. The filename will be displayed in the Output window of Visual Studio.

    Note

    If you select an existing file, the contents of the existing file will be replaced with the content generated by this operation.

  5. Right-click the message schema and then click Generate Instance.

  6. In the EDI Instance Properties dialog box, select the configuration options that you want, and then click OK.

  7. Verify that there is a message in the Output window indicating that the operation succeeded.

  8. To view the file, press Control and click the link in the Output window. BizTalk Server will display the contents of the file in the BizTalk Editor window.

  9. To make a functional EDI message, add the interchange and group headers to the message in a text editor.

See Also

Using Design-Time XML Tools
Validating an Instance (EDI)