CONVERTER
Converter. The software component that transcodes a message from one EDI format to another.
Definition
A converter (sometimes called translator) is a software component specialised in converting an EDI message from a source format to a target format: EDIFACT to UBL, X12 to EDIFACT, XML to JSON, etc. It applies a pre-defined mapping that describes field-by-field correspondence between the two models. The converter can be standalone, embedded in a B2B gateway, or exposed as an API.
Origin
The first EDI converters appeared in the 1980s with products like Sterling Gentran, Mercator Software, Cyclone Commerce, TIE Commerce. They were initially oriented to EDIFACT ↔ X12 and relied on proprietary scripts. Today, modern converters (BizTalk Server, IBM Sterling, Axway, Boomi, ediFabric, edi4xml) support a dozen formats and use standardised mapping languages (XSLT, graphical mapping).
Example in context
An EDIFACT INVOIC D.96A to UBL 2.1 PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 converter walks each segment of the source INVOIC and produces the corresponding UBL element: BGM+380 becomes InvoiceTypeCode, NAD+SE becomes AccountingSupplierParty, LIN becomes InvoiceLine, MOA+9 becomes LegalMonetaryTotal/PayableAmount. UNCL codes are mapped to UN/CEFACT code lists or PEPPOL-specific ones. The output is validated by PEPPOL Schematrons before emission.
Related terms
- EDI Translator — legacy synonym for converter.
- Mapping — the transformation a converter executes.
- Round-trip — quality of a converter measured by round-trip.