Issue/Symptom/Question

Interfaces: Pipe Delimited Method

Applies To

Reference Manual

Interface Guide

Resolution/Fix/Answer

Introduction to Pipe Method

One of the benefits of PENTA’s design is its ability to integrate data from other applications with data in PENTA. Your organization may find it useful to take information from an external application—such as a spreadsheet used to record employee hours—and load this information into PENTA. You can use the Interface module to load information into PENTA from any application that can produce an ASCII file in pipe delimited ( | ) format.

When PENTA processes an interface data file, it subjects the data to the same checks and validations that PENTA enforces when you enter data manually. If the data in a data file does not pass PENTA’s validation routines, PENTA does one of the following:

Substitutes a default value (set up by you) and moves on to the next.

Rejects the record and moves on to the next.

Rejects the entire file.

PENTA also uses pre-defined interface processing rules to prohibit the entry of duplicate records. For example, if you submit an already-processed interface data file, PENTA rejects it.

The interface operates in one direction only: from the external application to PENTA. Although you can add to or modify information in PENTA—regardless of whether the information comes from an external application or you enter it directly in PENTA—such changes do not migrate back to external applications.

Your organization should develop internal procedures to control the following:

When and how you create interface data files.

Where you store interface data files for access by the interface programs.

Who is responsible for creating and deleting interface data files.

This contains information about the content and setup of data files necessary to load data properly into PENTA and is intended for individuals who create data files from external applications.

Including Optional Fields with a Pipe Delimited File

Several interface files let you append optional fields. You can place them in any order (or not at all) after field 6 in the Header record. When including them in the Header record, include the field prompt and the related value inside of the pipe delimiters (e.g., |Field Name=XXXX|).

If you are not loading values for these fields, exclude them from the master/parent record. To null out a field with an existing value, leave the value after the equal sign null (e.g., |DED_AMT_TRIGGERED=|).