Process External Input File via Assistant
Explanation
Use this activity to read an external input file, unpack the file
data and
call a dedicated interface (API) that will continue with the further
processing of the data.
The assistant can handle any file type and file template defined in External
Files. This means that this is a multi-purpose assistant that
can handle the same actions as existing interfaces, e.g. the External Supplier
Invoices Interface in Invoice.
Prerequisites
- An external file type must be available.
- A parameter set must be available if it should be
possible
to supply parameter values during the input phase.
- A valid and active file template with template
definitions for input files that is associated with the file
type must be available.
- If an input file is specified then it must exist on
the network path if Online processing. For Batch processing the file path and
name is of course essential but can not be validated before starting the
process.
System Effects
The following is will be a result of this activity:
- The file will be
read, unpacked and a call will be made to the interface (API) that will take
care or processing the unpacked data further. This may lead to the e.g. for vouchers, that
transactions will be defined in the External Vouchers Interface and that the
vouchers are checked/validated and then sent to the hold table where the
actual vouchers are created.
- The state of the load will be set to Transferred.
Window
External File Assistant
Related Window Descriptions
External
File Assistant
Procedure
- Open the External File Assistant.
- Choose processing mode, Online or Batch.
- Click Next.
- Supply file options on this page, i.e. external file
type, parameter set, external file template and the file name.
The file direction is set automatically according to the following:
- If the referenced parameter set has the parameter
FILE_DIRECTION_DB defined then the direction according to the value for this
parameter will be used.
- Else if the file template has definitions for
either input files or output files then the existing definition will decide
the direction.
- If the file template has definitions for both
input and output files then output will be the suggested direction.
Make sure that the file direction is InputFile.
- Click Next.
- If a parameter set was supplied that has associated
parameters then these parameters will be displayed along with defined default
values. Modify the values for each parameter if necessary. Click List,
if available, to get valid values for each parameter. The field might
also support a drop down list with valid values.
- If the processing mode is Online then click
Finish to start the process, else click Next.
- If the processing mode is Batch then define
the scheduling of the batch job and start the process by clicking Finish.