Looking for a tool/library to convert XML to X12 (270 - medical eligibility request) and then to convert the X12 response (271 - eligibility response) back to XML. This will be embedded in a server application (will consider any target language). I've toyed with idea of writing my own X12 parser and generator but this project will most likely expand to other X12 transactions and I'd like to find a solution that will be extensible.
+1
A:
Look at pyx12.
It includes scripts for X12 to XML and XML to X12.
Why Python? Because you'll often need to customize X12 documents to handle the allowed variations between payers and providers.
S.Lott
2009-01-16 02:45:12
I got the impression reading somewhere (don't remember just where) that pyx12 wasn't well supported, and that the code and/or mappings were convoluted. Have you actually used pyx12? If so, what is your impression of it?
jdigital
2009-01-16 04:14:47
Blog Entries: http://homepage.mac.com/s_lott/iblog/architecture/C465799452/E20080111205451/index.html, http://homepage.mac.com/s_lott/iblog/architecture/C465799452/E20080119082306/index.html, http://homepage.mac.com/s_lott/iblog/architecture/C465799452/E20080126181253/index.html
S.Lott
2009-01-16 12:09:41
X12 is convoluted. pyx12 copes reasonably well with the complexity. I rolled my own anyway. But I studied their code to see what they did and why.
S.Lott
2009-01-16 12:10:58
The expression "damned with faint praise" would seem to apply here.WHat about your code -- any plans to release it?
jdigital
2009-01-16 18:39:16
@jdigital: Can't. It's proprietary -- for the foreseeable future. I work for a consulting firm; we can probably work something out. There's a "send a message" button near my blog (http://homepage.mac.com/s_lott/Menu35.html) that you can use.
S.Lott
2009-01-16 19:15:01
How did this turn out? I'm in the same boat.Thanks!
asp316
2009-03-31 18:14:05
I'm not sure what "turns out" means -- some folks use pyx12; I rolled my own because I felt pyx12 wasn't suitable.
S.Lott
2009-03-31 18:25:40
+1
A:
One product I can speak to that you should avoid at all costs is EcMap. Having had about a year of experience with it now in my own employment in an EDI department, I can say I have seldom seen an application with a more poorly designed interface (except perhaps Lotus Notes), more confusing user documentation, and an absolutely ridiculous licensing scheme. It's essentially licensed per CPU (by CPU they mean core, so you're really hosed if you've got a new quad-core CPU) and it's more than 10K per license by the last quote I heard.
BBlake
2009-08-21 23:49:25
+1
A:
I ended up creating my own XML <-> x12 transformation tool. There were some commercial offerings that I came across (one of which, from EtaSoft, is worth checking out for their fine documentation) but ultimately the advantage of a homegrown solution was too great.
I did use the configuration files from X12::Parser as the basis for an X12 parser, essentially turning the config file into code and eliminating the overhead and error handling for managing configuration files that should in theory almost never change.
jdigital
2009-08-25 22:36:46