Issue/Symptom/Question

Introduction to Interfaces

Applies To

Interfaces

Reference Manual

Resolution/Fix/Answer

Entering Values in Fields and Columns

This information corresponds to the Entry and Format columns in the tables documented for the Table Driven and Pipe Delimited interface methods.

Use this information as a cross-reference to the tables documented when you need to determine whether and how to include values for a field/column.

When to Include Fields/Columns

The Entry column in this Guide’s tables shows one of the following values to indicate if you must enter a value:

• Key – A value is necessary. Calculations and other processes performed on succeeding data depend on the key field(s)/column(s). If the field/column does not have a value, PENTA rejects the file.

• Req – A value is required if adding the field/column (for example, adding a new employee instead of updating information about an existing employee). If the field/column does not have a value, PENTA may not load the data file or the related records.

• Opt – A value for the field/column is optional. There may be conditions under which PENTA requires it; however, those are noted for each field.

Possible Formats for Fields/Columns

Data file field/column values can use several different formats that vary according to the type of data and how PENTA processes it. Format codes indicate how you should enter data for a particular field/column.

Example: If a field/column says to use the Format “C! 13,” you can look to this Format Code and Description table to find that the field/column can have no more than 13 uppercase characters and that you can use alphabetic and/or numeric characters.

PENTA Domains

In PENTA, a Domain represents a specific type of field/column that occurs across multiple tables. A Domain’s length and whether it is alphabetic, numeric, or alphanumeric depends on your company’s PENTA configuration.

The table below lists all fields/columns that qualify as a “Domain.”

Interface File Format

Source and Format (Pipe Delimited Method only)

Since the interface source data can originate from a variety of platforms and data structure schemes, you must provide the data from each information source as a flat ASCII file.

Fields in a data record are based on relative position: the first value in a record corresponds to the first data element, the second value to the second data element, and so on. Optional tables are the exception to this—you must specify column name and value, but they can be in any order.

Header and Detail Records (Pipe Delimited & Table Driven methods)

Some interface files require a Header Record and one or more Detail Records that relate to the Header record. PENTA uses information defined in the Header Record to validate the content of the interface file. PENTA validates the detail against the Header Record.

Conventions (Pipe Delimited & Table Driven methods)

The interface process has specific field and file formatting requirements, and will handle spaces differently according to the placement of those spaces. Records for the Pipe Delimited method should be pipe delimited ( | ). If characters exist between delimiting pipes, PENTA inserts the characters in the appropriate table. If no update should occur for a specific field, then do not enter data should exist between the field delimiting pipes.

• Tildes – Use a tilde (~) to set a field to null. A tilde also deletes existing data. Note: Tildes apply to Pipe Method only.

• Trailing spaces – PENTA suppresses trailing spaces for any character or domain field.

• Leading spaces – PENTA retains leading spaces in character fields. It does not retain leading spaces in numeric or domain fields. If your company does not use the leading spaces in PENTA, remove them when you create the data file.

• Embedded spaces – PENTA preserves embedded spaces.

• Readability spaces – Between two pipe delimiters, you can insert spaces for readability. This will not actually insert spaces into PENTA.

Interfaces at a Glance

The following table illustrates which interface method(s) (Table Driven or Pipe Delimited) are available for each available interface.

Options for Interfacing External Data

There are two methods interfacing external data into PENTA—the Table Driven method and the Pipe Delimited method. The method you use typically depends on your “technical background.” More advanced users typically prefer the Table Driven Method, while the Pipe Delimited method is suitable for people with varying degrees of technical knowledge.

Table Driven Method

The Table Driven method uses stored procedures to processes interface requests that were loaded into intermediate work tables by an external process.

Table Driven interfaces consist of the following elements:

• Table

• Rows

• Columns

Process for Loading Interfaces

The general Table Driven process is as follows:

1. The external process creates an interface batch by loading work tables.
   The rows have an Interface Request ID that identifies which batch they belong to.

2. The external process calls a PENTA Stored Procedure to initiate the batch.

3. PENTA processes the batch.

For more detailed instruction, refer to the Load Data Using the Table Driven Method Business Process.

Control & Creation Columns

The following fields occur in all Intermediate Work Tables, and do not need to be manually set; PENTA automatically defaults values for these fields.

Pipe Delimited Method

The Pipe Delimited method loads interface files in Pipe Delimited file format via the Initiate Batch Interface Request window. All Pipe Delimited interfaces initiate from the Initiate Batch Interface Request window.

Pipe Delimited data files consist of the following elements:

• File

• Record

• Field