Naming Document type, format, variant and version
Format, Variant and Version
When naming Format/Variant and Version for Link please follow these guidelines:
Format name should reflect the schema used for the format. FlatFile is not a valid Format name, instead it should reflect the schema name like e.g. “Custom SalesOrder FlatFile”. It is allowed to use space in a format name. First time a new format is used the Variant will usually be “Standard” and the Version “1.0”.
Variant name is used in case we need an existing format with some small changes in the map like use of other qualifiers or removal of some information. A Variant that is not named Standard is normally only used for a specific Partner/System.
Version is used in case some additional information is added to a format that is part of the standard and that other parties might want to have as well. Instead of creating a new Variant (which is party specific) it’s a good idea to create a new version instead, that the other parties in time can be switched to as well.
For standard schemas like Edifact or UBL remember to include the type of the schema in the format name. For instance if the Edifact ORDERS schema is used include ORDERS in the format name. This is the best to do because of 2 things: When searching for a specific format the type can be seen in the Format Dropdown. Some document types like for instance Picking List can be necessary to create in both an Edifact ORDERS format and an Edifact HANMOV. If you have just named the format “Edifact D96A” then you don’t know if it’s the ORDERS or the HANMOV type. For Edifact INVOIC and other outgoing documents the ‘Associated assigned code’, ex. EAN008 after the releasenr. D96A, must be included to describe that the document is exactly for this.
Examples of Format/Variant/Versions and how they should be:
Don’t | Do |
File / MSI / 1.0 | FlatFile MSI SalesOrder / Standard / 1.0 |
Edifact D96A / Standard / 1.0 | Edifact ORDERS D96A / Standard / 1.0 |
Edifact D96A / Standard / 1.0 | Edifact INVOIC D96A EAN008 / Standard / 1.0 |
OIOUBL / Standard / 1.0 | OIOUBL Order / Standard / 1.0 |
CSV / TPS / 1.0 | CSV TPS StoreData / Standard / 1.0 |
CustomXml / AX / 1.0 | AX StoreData CustomXml / AX / 1.0 |
Sometimes it’s difficult to determine if the Variant should be named Standard or e.g. AX or MSI. Guidelines for this should be: If the format is based on a standard and it’s not a party specific variant it should be named “Standard”. If the format is some kind of system specific Flat File or Xml it depends on whether it is allowed to use for other parties/systems. If in doubt, name it Standard.