Customizing the FTX Segment

Your trading partner sends you messages or notes, so the FTX segment must be present to receive them. The standard allows the FTX segment to be used up to five times in one purchase order. In this tutorial, you will use the FTX segment only once. You have already changed the maximum use of the FTX segment to obtain just one instance of the FTX segment and to place the note or message on the same frame as the purchase order number and date.

The FTX01 element (Text Subject Qualifier) is a mandatory element for the FTX segment. The FTX01 element contains the three-character qualifier from your partner’s EDI data to indicate what type of free text follows (in this tutorial, AAI for General Information). The system does not enable you to deactivate this element, because it is a mandatory element. Because you expect only one qualifier (General Information) in this element, you do not need to print the qualifier on the report. You will hide the Text Subject Qualifier field.

The FTX06 element (Free Text) is mandatory when the FTX segment is used. The EDI data in the FTX06 element contains the exact message that should be printed. The message is self-explanatory so you do not need to print the label for this field. You need to remove the field label from the form. You also know that your partner sends free text in 60 characters or fewer (70 is the maximum length allowed by the standard for this field) so you need to change the element and field lengths for the Free Text field.

Use this procedure to customize the FTX segment.

  1. To hide the Text Subject Qualifier field, double-click the FTX01 element.
  2. On the Print tab, clear the Include this field in the print check box.
  3. Click OK to exit the dialog.
  4. To customize the Free Text field, double-click the FTX06 element.
  5. On the Validation tab, enter 60 in the Maximum box to allow a 60-character string in this element.
  6. Select the Print tab.
  7. In the Label box, delete the existing text.
  8. In the Maximum number of characters to be printed box, enter 60.
  9. Click OK to exit the dialog.
  10. Click Generate Layout on the Main Toolbar to refresh the print form display.

The header frame now should look like this: