We can use flat-file-transform-service to transform a flat file into a simplified XML structure so we can use standard XSLT to transform the data further. The flat-file-transform-service relies on a definition file that describes the file. It uses this file to parse and then render the contents as XML. If required, you can specify the definition file using a metadata key rather than statically within the interlok configuration file.
The way in which it works is most easily demonstrated with an example.
Example
If we take the following input file that contains a header, any number of detail records and a trailer records. In this instance there are no separators; and each record is expected to be 64 characters terminated by a newline.
HDRSRC20110601THE TITLE OF DOCSrcDescDestinationDesc 1234567890
DETField 1.01Field 1.02Field 1.0320110630Field 1.04400821
DETField 2.01Field 2.02Field 2.0320110730Field 2.04400821
DETField 3.01Field 3.02Field 3.0320110830Field 3.04400821
TRL00000005
Our corresponding definition XML would look like
<root>
<segment name="Document">
<segment name="Header">
<record length="0" separator="\n" rec_id="HDR" rec_id_start="1" rec_id_len="3" field_sep="" repetitions="0">
<field name = "RecordType" length = "3" separator = ""/>
<field name = "SourceCode" length = "3" separator = ""/>
<field name = "RunDate" length = "8" separator = ""/>
<field name = "Title" length = "16" separator = ""/>
<field name = "SourceDescription" length = "7" separator = ""/>
<field name = "DestDescription" length = "17" separator = ""/>
<field name = "Filler" length = "10" separator = ""/>
</record>
</segment>
<segment name="Details">
<record length="0" separator="\n" rec_id="DET" rec_id_start="1" rec_id_len="3" field_sep="" repetitions="0">
<field name = "RecordType" length = "3" separator = ""/>
<field name = "FieldOne" length = "12" separator = ""/>
<field name = "FieldTwo" length = "11" separator = ""/>
<field name = "FieldThree" length = "14" separator = ""/>
<field name = "CompletionDate" length = "8" separator = ""/>
<field name = "FieldFour" length = "12" separator = ""/>
<field name = "Filler" length = "6" separator = ""/>
</record>
</segment>
<segment name="Trailer">
<record length="0" separator="\n" rec_id="TRL" rec_id_start="1" rec_id_len="3" field_sep="" repetitions="0">
<field name = "RecordType" length = "3" separator = ""/>
<field name = "Total" length = "8" separator = ""/>
<field name = "Filler" length = "53" separator = ""/>
</record>
</segment>
</segment>
</root>
which would produce the output :
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<root>
<segment_Document>
<segment_Header>
<record_HDR>
<RecordType>HDR</RecordType>
<SourceCode>SRC</SourceCode>
<RunDate>20110601</RunDate>
<Title>THE TITLE OF DOC</Title>
<SourceDescription>SrcDesc</SourceDescription>
<DestDescription>DestinationDesc</DestDescription>
<Filler>1234567890</Filler>
</record_HDR>
</segment_Header>
<segment_Details>
<record_DET>
<RecordType>DET</RecordType>
<FieldOne>Field 1.01</FieldOne>
<FieldTwo>Field 1.02</FieldTwo>
<FieldThree>Field 1.03</FieldThree>
<CompletionDate>20110630</CompletionDate>
<FieldFour>Field 1.04</FieldFour>
<Filler>400821</Filler>
</record_DET>
<record_DET>
<RecordType>DET</RecordType>
<FieldOne>Field 2.01</FieldOne>
<FieldTwo>Field 2.02</FieldTwo>
<FieldThree>Field 2.03</FieldThree>
<CompletionDate>20110730</CompletionDate>
<FieldFour>Field 2.04</FieldFour>
<Filler>400821</Filler>
</record_DET>
<record_DET>
<RecordType>DET</RecordType>
<FieldOne>Field 3.01</FieldOne>
<FieldTwo>Field 3.02</FieldTwo>
<FieldThree>Field 3.03</FieldThree>
<CompletionDate>20110830</CompletionDate>
<FieldFour>Field 3.04</FieldFour>
<Filler>400821</Filler>
</record_DET>
</segment_Details>
<segment_Trailer>
<record_TRL>
<RecordType>TRL</RecordType>
<Total>00000005</Total>
<Filler></Filler>
</record_TRL>
</segment_Trailer>
</segment_Document>
</root>
