Product: Mapping Manager, Transaction Manager, Foundry Platform

Article Link: http://help.truecommerce.com/en/articles/6695110-mapping-manager-endpoint-mapping

Whenever you are integrating one of your systems with Transaction Manager, such as your business system (ERP), you will ultimately want to map data from your Trading Partner to your system in order to allow it to push and pull the data between your system and Transaction Manager for your transactions.

Mapping Manager is the tool that allows you to map these endpoints (fields from either Transaction Manager or your ERP) with various logic, token mappings, and hardcodings.

A token is much like a variable from other scripting/programming interfaces. It is a piece of data that represents a changing field within either Transaction Manager or your ERP. This data could be something as simple as your PO# coming in from your Trading Partner, or the Invoice# coming from your ERP.

Various elements within the connection between Transaction Manager and your system can be considered a token, such as Trading Partner fields within Transaction Manager, a Row or Column from data being brought in from your system, and even Lookup Tables from Transaction Manager.

Tokens are formatted with the name of the token surrounded in both an open and a close bracket, as well as a identifier prefix. Such as [T:Main.Purchase Order Information. PO Date], [F:DropShip Code], and [I:Account ID]. These tokens each represent a different portion of data that that will be used to push data to your endpoints. Below is a simple overview of the symbols used.

Partner Token (T:)

A Transaction Token or a Partner Token is prefixed with a T: and these are endpoints that refer to a field within some sort of transaction within Transaction Manager. This is most often the data that the partner sends you. Any field within the transaction can be pulled.

Rows and Columns are used for incoming data, usually from your ERP or a flat file of some sort. Since data coming in is typically read in a structured way, the Rows and Columns defining help distinguish exactly what data you are pulling based on the row or column number. For the most part, the naming convention is enough, but it provides an additional layer when you need to go beyond the basics.

Prefixed with an R: you will find that a row contains numeric details in front of the data, letting you know exactly what field it is grabbing. This data always refers to incoming data into Transaction Manager; for example, when you are bringing in an Invoice from your ERP, it will represent the data coming from the Invoice.

In this case, it is grabbing Row 3, column 74, which is labeled as the externalDocumentNumber. These field numberings are defined by the Values and their indexes within your Definitions configured when the definition was initially built.

The most common prefix will be the R indicating it is pulling a row and column based definition. You may also see a C prefix indicating just a column. This is for pure comma-separated value (CSV) files which do not have rows that are unique. The principle is the same: C represents column. The numbered index indicates which column in the file is being selected (from left to right).

A linkback is a token that pulls data from another transaction rather than your system or the current transaction like most typical tokens (marked with a T:). Instead, this transaction uses a specialized setup that will attempt to search Transaction Manager for the provided document# and pull data from that transaction as long as it has not been deleted or archived.

Lookup/Default tokens are prefixed with an F: and are tokens that pull straight from custom data that is either being translated (Lookups) or is a static value (Default).

A lookup table, also known as a translation table, is one that displays within Transaction Manager and allows you to convert data from one value to another based on a given parameter; for example, if your Trading Partner is sending you Units of Measure (UoM) in a coded format and your system is configured to take them fully spelled out, you will need to convert your Partner value into your ERP's value. A lookup/translation table will allow you to do that.

A Default Table is a static, custom pre-configuration that you can setup and mark within Mapping Manager that can then be configured (typically per Trading Partner) to set data that does not change. It is similar to a template value with the added benefit of being able to insert it into Mapping Manager to be used with logic or endpoint mapping. In the below example, a default table is used to set your third-party logistics (3PL) or Warehouse ID per Trading Partner easily within Transaction Manager.

An Account Info token (prefixed with an I:) are tokens that grab specific pieces of built-in data from within Transaction Manager, such as generating a Line# automatically, referencing the Trading Partner name, or the Partner Setup within Transaction Manager.

An Address Token is one that references data within our Address List inside Transaction Manager. It can link against a specific Ship To Code or DC Code and pull the data from that respective entry within your Address List based on the token used.

Mapping Manager supports hardcoding. Anything not wrapped in a set of token identifiers (such as your brackets with their prefixes) is considered a hard-coded value. These are static values that will never change. They are marked within your endpoints as always consistent and present. These values do not use any sort of reference; they simply are the entered value you input when not formatted with token brackets.

Logic is how Mapping Manager manipulates data. All logic is prefixed with the logic identifier '@' and then followed by the name of the function, and its parameters (surrounded in parenthesis).

rev. 1/31/24