« Back to Glossary Index

Message Header

 

The message header is a special service segment that appears at the beginning of an EDI message and serves to initiate and uniquely identify that message. This segment contains essential information such as the message type, sequence number, and other details relevant for the proper processing and routing of the message within the EDI exchange. The message header establishes the context and structure of the message, allowing the recipient to interpret and process it accordingly.

Use Case:

An example use case for the message header in EDI is within a business transaction between a supplier and a retailer. The message header may contain information about the transaction type, such as a purchase order, invoice, or delivery notification, and may include other specific details. The recipient can use the information from the message header to direct the message to the appropriate processes and systems within their company, ensuring efficient management of the business transactions.

Script Code Example:

import edi_library

# Connect to the EDI system
edi_system = edi_library.connect_edi_system()

# Create an empty EDI message with a message header
edi_message = edi_system.create_message()
edi_message.add_segment(“ST”, “PurchaseOrder”)
edi_message.add_element(“MessageID”, “12345”)
edi_message.add_element(“SenderID”, “ABCCompany”)
edi_message.add_element(“RecipientID”, “XYZCompany”)
edi_message.add_segment(“SE”, “1”)

# Send the EDI message to the recipient
edi_system.send_message(edi_message)

# Receive and process an incoming EDI message
received_message = edi_system.receive_message()
# Extract the message header information for further processing

# Disconnect from the EDI system
edi_system.disconnect()

Best Practices:

1. Ensure that the message header complies with relevant EDI standards and industry conventions.
2. Use unique identifiers to uniquely identify each message and avoid ambiguities.
3. Validate the accuracy and integrity of the information in the message header to ensure proper routing and efficient processing of messages.
4. Document the structure and content of the message header in detail to facilitate understanding and further development of the EDI solution.

To benefit from a comprehensive EDI solution and efficiently manage message headers within electronic data interchange, you can rely on EDIconnect, a trusted EDI solution provider. EDIconnect offers advanced tools and services for managing EDI communication and the header process, ensuring secure and efficient transmission of information between business partners.