is it possible to develop a EDI package using VB.NET

wilson

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i would like to develop a EDI package for warehouse management.
is it possible to develop a EDI package using VB.NET or VB6 ? if yes, what tool we should use as Backend?
other than these 2 tools ( Front end and back end ), what is the other software that i have to use to translate the Data file to EDI and vice versa? please explain

wilson
 
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Hi !

EDI is Electronic Data Interchange. EDI is a technology which is essential and is the common underlying bridge to transfer data between systems working on different OS like DOS, Windows, Linux etc. To explain further, if a person working on a Linux system wishes to transfer data to a person working on a Windows System, the best and easy way is to prepare what is called a AsCII Flat file and the same is read and added to the data in the Windows System.

I had worked on a pilot project on EDI with a Government of India's intiative long time back and this helped us transfer the data from our organisation ( on a Windows System ) to a Unix system run by the Government Department.

Looking at commercial applications, this can be established between a vendor and a customer, where the data of Invoices , Purchase Orders can be transferred through EDI reducing the need to do any data entry at the receiving end to update the same into their database. Let me give an example to make it clear.

Let us assume that I am a supplier of components and I have an invoice generated through my software. Generaly the Invoice will consist of two portions. One the main header portion containing the info on customer, their PO, taxation levies etc and a second detail file which consists of say part number, description, quantity, rate etc. If I want to transfer this to my customer on EDI, I will first agree with him the pattern of data transfer where the sequencing and the length of the columns will be agreed upon. For example the first column would be Inv Number, second column would be Invoice date etc. After this understanding is reached and documented between the parties, the sending party ( in this case myself ) I will convert my Invoice data into the ASCII flat file with the columns in the same sequence and length separated by an agreed separator.

Based on this agreement, the customer will receive this file and start collating the information into various columns ad appropriately add them to the database application of his without having to do any data entry manually.

Hope this helps in understanding EDI.

To my knowledge you need not have any tool for this. The only thing that may be required is to have data security to the flat file that is being sent by having controls such as hash table , encryption to prevent unauthorised modification etc which are all part of any communication transfer.

Phew !!! All the best to you and if you need any further help I can try and be of help. Post the results of your efforts on to the forum for everyone's benefit.

Looking forward to hearing your success in EDI.

Varadarajan R
 
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