How do I add MLLP control characters to a stand alone file?

[Jaye Costello]

I have a vendor who I will be FTPing into to grab files back to my Cloverleaf server. From there, I will process them thru a thread to an application.  The files as they are being received from the vendor, do not the have correct control characters at the end.

Topic

[Jim Kosloskey]

Jaye,

In a file (versus via a communication link) one would expect each segment to be terminated by a Carriage Return, the end of each message should be indicated by the addition of a Line Feed (following the Carriage Return indicating the end of the last segment of the message).

Typically one would not expect to see the MLP applied in a file.

Jim Kosloskey

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

[Jaye Costello]

Jim:

Thanks  I guess then the questions becomes .. how do I get the Line Feed at the end of the file?

[Jim Kosloskey]

Jaye,

You want the Line Feed to be at the end of each message, not just at the end of the file.

If it were me, I would contact the vendor and tell them they are not producing an HL/7 compliant message and to fix it. I would tell them where they are not compliant (no Line Feed at the end of each message).

After all, it appears one of the things your organization paid for was for this application to be HL/7 compliant – and it is not.

I think of this in these terms:

If you were to order an expensive steak medium rare in a restaurant and it came to you so well done it could resole your shoe, would you eat the steak anyway or send it back and insist on getting what you paid for?

But alas, it is quite likely the vendor may tell you to take a flying leap. In that case, you will need to have a Tcl proc which breaks the file up into multiple messages.

I believe Charlie Bursell had a suggestion for that situation on a previous post. Search the forum to find his suggestion.

Thanks,

Jim Kosloskey

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

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