Define External File Type

Explanation

Use this activity to define an external file type header in the External Files toolkit.

A file type is always associated with a specific component and it defines the data structure of the file in terms of record types and available column data for each record type.
Normally the file type is associated with a specific interface in the component. The interface must be built to handle input and/or output files. In the first case the interface must be able to fetch the file data, the external transactions, read and unpacked by the External Files toolkit. In the latter case the interface has to create output data and send it to the External Files toolkit that then takes care of the formatting and output.
The external file type both describes the data that the interface can handle and the how this data can be structured in the file.

A special case is when a file type is created via a view definition. Then the view itself  will be used when reading data and a general interface in the External Files toolkit will be used to handle the retrieved data and formatting it before writing it to an output file.

A complete file type definition consists of the following:

• Header data such as file type identity, associated component and the name of the interfaces for input and output handling.
• Available record types.
• File column definitions for each record type.
• Available file type parameters.
• Parameter sets.
• Parameters per parameter set.

During installation some pre-defined system file types will be installed. These file types along with the pre-defined file templates makes it possible to access external files, structured according to the pre-defined definitions, more or less directly after installation. Typical supported interfaces are:

• External Currency interface in Accounting Rules
• External Vouchers Interface in Accounting Rules
• Budget Export and Import interfaces in General Ledger
• External Customer Invoices interface in Invoice
• External Supplier Invoices interface in Invoice
• Import File Snapshot interface in Consolidated Accounts
• Tax report handling in Tax Ledger
• External Interfaces in Payment

All pre-defined file types are system defined and cannot be modified. If e.g. the External Vouchers Interface in Accounting Rules is used then this interface only knows about the system defined file type associated with this interface. If a copy of a system define file type is made then this file type can be modified freely and accessed via the general External File Assistant.

Prerequisites

None.

System Effects

After having defined an external file type an external file template must be defined that is associated with the file type. When this is done it is possible to test if the definitions can be used to process e.g. an input file, either by using the External File Assistant or the External File Transactions window.

Window

External File Type

Related Window Descriptions

External File Type

Procedure

1. Open the External File Types window and populate.
   Click to mark any line, then right-click and click Details.
   If the purpose is to modify the definitions of an existing file type then this file type should be marked.
2. Click New.
3. Supply

• File type identity and description.
• Component that the file type is associated with.
• Interfaces, e.g. a string according to "<package_name>.<method_name>", to be used during the input and/or output process.

4. Click Save to store the file template header.
5. Go to the detail section to start defining available record types.
6. Click New
7. Input

• Record type identity and description.
• Record set identity. Several record types can be grouped as a record set.
• Define First In Record Set and Last In Record Set and if the record is a mandatory record or not.
• Define the parent record type if any.
• View Name and Input Package cannot be defined manually. These fields gets values when defining a file type from a view definition.

8. Continue by defining

• Details column definitions for each record type.
• Available parameters.
• Parameter sets.
• Parameters per parameter set.