hello
anyone have experience with importing 834 files into PanX?
I’ve looked for conversion options for Mac
was hoping for find something that would convert to CSV or TXT and import into PanX that way, but really don’t come up with anything viable
background from Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_834_Enrollment_Implementation_Format
The question posed does not address the real question. ;-/
Are the 834 files that need to be imported all of the same design or format? Or are the 834 files all of their own design?
If they are all of the same design or format, then a procedure is written to automatically queue them through the import process. If they are all of different design, then the procudure may or may not be able to recognize some of the data and somewhat simplify the process. There may be little that can be automated due to the inabiility to reliably recognize the meaning of the data. ie. Dates that appear without labels have no value to someone who does know this in advance.
The ANSI 834 is a standard that like all standards may or may not be properly implemented by software solutions. The lack of accountability or verification of accuracy of implementation of this standard will unfortunatly cause for an ongoing failure of the real use for the standard. There is no one checking or penalizing those not complying. This is what happens when legistation mandates a solution.
When Douglas Aircraft in 1989 mandated a new policy for implenting receipt of products at their receiving dock, I worked with them and wrote a standard similar to ANSI 834. The implementation was designed with success in mind but also was able to be done because there were enforcement procedures. The spec I wrote mandated that after a specific date (very important) Douglas would not allow a shipper’s box to be received without a proper label that had been already inspected and approved by my company. Thus I wrote the specification, and also inspected the results of the proposed labels. Only after I approved a suppliers label were they then able to ship their product to Douglas. (I also sold software that I wrote in Panorama to allow suppliers to create their labels which the suppliers knew were guaranteed to pass. 
It was quite a market, write the spec, be the inspector for a passing grade, offer a solution. The money was good and the process worked and worked well for all. But this was not a government implementation and could be mandated without the intervention of lobbyists from the software companies of our health system.
The process went so well that Hughes, Raytheon, Rohr, Catepillar, Rollys Royce, Boeing, McDonnel, and others then had me also write their specifications. These of course were nearly identical to the Douglas specification which made my work easier, but also allowed for the aircraft industry to sucessfully implement this real need. The type of label that was designed was called a license plate as it enabled one bar code to be scanned which then would reveal the full contents of the box ie. PN, SN, Qty, Descr, Rev, Order Num, Mfr ID, etc. It was wonderful for all.
So the bottom line is that you will be attempting to ‘push a rope’ in attempting to ‘just follow the specification’ in that there in no one enforceing the ANSI standard which makes it essentially worthless.
It is a specification without teeth, and it has failed thus far. If a software solution does not properly comply, there is no real penatly. The standard would only work if there was some incentive to actually comply for which there is not.
Thank Robert
good points
that is what I am looking into now, trying to get that sorted out. Stay tuned