PARSER VS. TRANSLATOR

EDI parser vs. translator.
Know what your workflow needs.

Understand the difference between EDI parsing, translation, mapping and file transport so your software evaluation covers the actual work.

Discuss your workflow See how it connects

Document fields connected with a citron highlight across two business records

SAME
DATA
FURTHER
GOOD

DOCUMENT / CONTEXT / CONNECTION

EDI DOCUMENTS / BUSINESS SYSTEMS / TRADING PARTNERSEDI PARSEX / BY MALTEXI

01 / THE WORK, MADE CLEAR

Four tasks can sit inside one document journey.

A file arrives from a partner, its structure is interpreted, its data is related to a target model and a receiving application uses the result. These activities may be combined in a broader solution, but the names describe different responsibilities.

01
Parsing
Interpret the structure and extract the values in context.
02
Mapping
Define which source values correspond to destination fields.
03
Translation
Represent the information in the format the next system requires.

02 / THE CONNECTION THAT MATTERS

Choose by the task that needs doing.

Choose by the task that needs doing.
Context	What matters	The handoff
EDI parser	Read and interpret a document	Structure and value relationships
EDI translator	Change data representation	Required input and output formats
File transfer	Transport the document	Endpoints and receipt evidence

Business documents arranged for an order and shipment workflow review — Make the information useful.

03 / BUILT AROUND YOUR WORK

Use one sample to compare proposals.

Give each proposed solution the same anonymized input and expected output. Ask which responsibilities belong to the product, which require configuration and which belong to another system. This makes it easier to compare scope without assuming that a category name guarantees every capability.

Start a focused conversation

A CLEARER PICTURE

Good questions.
Clear answers.

Can a parser be part of a translator?

Yes. Reading the input structure can be one step in a wider translation workflow. That does not mean every parser provides a complete translation service.

Where does AS2 fit?

AS2 concerns the exchange of business data over HTTP. It does not define the business-field mapping inside the transferred document.