When defining an import layout or export layout, use translate statements to modify incoming or outgoing data elements in the Product Data Warehouse (PDW) to match required formats. For example, your trading partner might define dates in the MM/DD/YY format, where Eclipse stores dates in the MM/DD/YYYY format; or your trading partner defines the unit of measure of each as "each" where Eclipse stores the same unit of measure as "ea". The system translates the data to the new format before importing it into the PDW or exporting it from the PDW.
You can manipulate data using operations such as concatenation, adding, subtracting, and defining table-based conversions. You can also append literal text to data elements.
Translate and convert statements differ, as follows:
Translate statements affect entire fields of data. Translate statements are commonly used on discount class, unit of measure, and UCC number data.
Convert statements apply to single words within fields. Convert statements are commonly used on product descriptions.
Use translate statements to perform the following functions:
Change data elements imported from vendor files or exported from metadata items into different formats or different values.
For example, a vendor defines 10 price discount classes for a product and you store these values in the PDW Catalog, but you only define three price discount classes for that product in Eclipse. Before you update the Eclipse Product file, create translate statements that map each of the vendor’s 10 codes to one of the three Eclipse codes. Each time you export the designated vendor discount classes to the Eclipse Product file, the system translates the vendor values into the appropriate Eclipse values.
Combine multiple data items in an electronic file into one MetaData item in the PDW or combine multiple metadata items into one field in the Eclipse Product file.
For example, a vendor data file contains a 6-character vendor ID and a 5-character NAED number. You can use a translate statement to combine the numbers and store the combined 11-character number as the UPC code in the PDW Catalog.
Add prefixes or suffixes to imported data elements or exported metadata items.
For example, you can append the vendor catalog number to the product description as a prefix.
Create file-validated metadata items. The value in the metadata item points to a file the system uses to turn vendor information into Eclipse information.
For example, a metadata item can reference a file to translate a vendor ID or discount class into an Eclipse buy line or price line.
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