Document/message management

A system for automatically generating data in a self-describing markup language format from EDI data, comprising:

• a storing unit that stores a plurality of maps for respectively mapping metadata from different types of source documents to variables of a virtual document;
• a receiving unit that receives a message or document from a first trading partner as EDI data;
• a determining unit that determines a type of the message or document received from the metadata and that determines a type of a target data model;
• a virtual document that obtains a first map from the plurality of maps stored in the storing unit based on the type of the message or document as determined by the determining unit, and that maps metadata from the message or document of the first trading partner to variables of the virtual document in accordance with the first map, and that obtains a second map from the plurality of maps stored in the storing unit based on the type of the target data model as determined by the determining unit, and that maps metadata from a message or document of a second trading partner to the variables of the virtual document in accordance with the second map;
• and
• a transmitting unit that transmits values provided to the variables of the virtual document from the message or document from the first trading partner, to the corresponding metadata of the message or document of the second trading partner.

A computer readable data storage medium for an EDI system having program code recorded thereon that is executable by a computer to perform the following steps:

• storing a plurality of maps for respectively mapping metadata from different types of source documents to variables of a virtual document;
• receiving a source data model having a first EDI format corresponding to EDI related data, the source data model including metadata;
• determining a type of the source data model from the metadata;
• obtaining a first map from the plurality of maps based on the determined type of the source data model, and mapping the metadata of the source data model to corresponding variables of a virtual document in accordance with the first map;
• determining a type of a target data model to which data from the source data model is to be transferred to;
• obtaining a second map from the plurality of maps based on the determined type of the target data model, and mapping the variables of the virtual document to metadata of a target data model in accordance with the second map,
• wherein, when a source message or document is received by the EDI system, the program code is programmed to:
• translate the source message or document to obtain its corresponding metadata;
• provide the values corresponding to the metadata to the corresponding mapped variables of the virtual document;
• and
• provide the corresponding values of the mapped variables of the virtual document to the corresponding metadata of the target data model.

A system for automatically generating data in a self-describing markup language format from received EDI data, comprising:

• storing means for storing a plurality of maps for respectively mapping metadata from different types of source documents to variables of a virtual document;
• receiving means for receiving a message or document from a first trading partner as EDI data;
• determining means for determining a type of the message or document received by the receiving means from the metadata, and for determining a type of a target data model;
• a virtual document that obtains a first map from the plurality of maps stored in the storing means based on the type of the message or document received by the receiving means as determined by the determining means, and that maps metadata from the message or document of the first trading partner to variables of the virtual document in accordance with the first map, and that obtains a second map from the plurality of maps stored in the storing means based on the type of the target data model as determined by the determining means, and that maps metadata from a message or document of a second trading partner to the variables of the virtual document in accordance with the second map;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting values provided to the variables of the virtual document from the message or document from the first trading partner, to the corresponding metadata of the message or document of the second trading partner.

A method for automatically generating data in a prescribed format from a received EDI document or message having metadata elements, comprising:

• assigning, by a first user, a first plurality of maps from metadata elements of different types of source documents to variables of a virtual document;
• assigning, by a second user, a second plurality of maps from the variables of the virtual document to metadata elements of a target EDI document or message;
• pulling values assigned to the metadata elements of the received EDI document or message to the variables of the virtual document, based on a source document-to-virtual document mapping that corresponds to one of the first plurality of maps that is automatically determined based on a type of the metadata elements of the received EDI document or message;
• and
• pushing values assigned to the variables of the virtual document to metadata elements of the target EDI document or message, based on a target document-to-virtual document mapping that corresponds to one of the second plurality of maps that is automatically determined based on a type of the metadata elements of the target EDI document or message.