Part 3.2 Element, Segment ID or Tags, Qualifier and ID, Composite Element

Element 
An element is an individual data field within each segment. The element represents one piece of information in a document. An element may be also thought as a field.

A segment can contain maximum no of 24 elements.

• It is a pcs of information. 
• It is a small part of the segment, which is separated by the separator.
• It will not be less than 2 characters and more the 15 characters.

Element contains
      An element contains a numeric ID, a data type and minimum and maximum length.

Data types of EDI.

• A     Alphabetic.
• AN    Alphanumeric.
• B     Binary.
• CD    Composite Data element.
• CH    Character.
• DT    Date.
• FS    Fixed-length String.
• ID    Identifier.
• IV    Incrementing Value.
• In    Numeric.
• PW    password.
• R     Decimal Number.
• TM    Time.

Segment ID (ANSI ASC X12) or Segment Tags (EDIFECT) 
The first element in the segment is the Segment ID.

Qualifier and ID 
A qualifier provides a code identifying the type of information in the next element following it.

• It is pcs of information about next element.
• For example: *KK*KISHOR: KUMAR*

Note: Here “KK” is qualifier or ID for next element.

If the two-digit number is sender and receiver qualifier number, then the next number will be sender and receiver information or ID.

Composite Element 
If a character is separating two composite elements in the segment or message or record that’s called composite element separator. For Example – “:”

• It is the same as the element separator.
• Only EDIFECT file is using this concept.