Output file for electronic billing

[LaRetta]

I'm desparate to find a solution to this problem. I have attached a file which shows what our electronic billing must look like. If you would, could you take a look and give me some ideas on creating it? I'm willing to do all the work ... I just don't know how to begin. It appears that there are spaces between the fields and, half-way down, a maximum 6-line 'portal.' I know that electronic upload is fairly common. Has anyone done something like this?

I can isolate the records and related 'portal' records but can't figure out what to do to create this output file.

TT072502.zip

[LiveOak]

Unfortunately an example is not enough of a specification to define this sort of output. For instance, if things need to start in a specified column, which column is it. If a name can have a maximum number of letters, how many? The example may not have a maximum lenght name, etc. It's kind of like giving someone a car and wanting to create an assembly line to produce them. Having a car does not define the processes or tolerances necessary for its manufacture.

I'm guessing that you are trying to duplicate some other program's output and a specification isn't available or is proprietary (of course).

The output will be generated from a file with the text created by a single calculated text field. The export of this one field and multiple records will create your formatted text file. Alternatively, if you don't want to include carriage returns in the text field, the output file will have one record per line in the desired output text file.

-bd

[LaRetta]

Thank you for responding. I have the specification file for the output. It's displayed in line/space numbers and all fields are fixed length. I just don't know how to force FM to output the same thing. It's an old DOS Accpac program; but hundreds of mental health agencies are billing to Medicaid using the exact specification format (but many different programs). Every agency I've talked to, is using a DOS-based program.

[BobWeaver]

The general technique is to create a single calculated export field that combines all the fields with padding spaces as necessary. For example:

Field1 - starts in column 1 and is 8 characters long and is left aligned;

Field2 - starts in column 9 and is 20 characters long and is left aligned;

Field3 - starts in column 29 and is 10 characters long and is right aligned;

The formula would be:

Left(Field1&" ",8)&Left(Field2&" ",20)&Right(" "&Field3,10)

---

The number of padding spaces inside the quotes must be greater than or equal to the field length.

Then you just export the single calculated export field.

[CobaltSky]

You're also going to want to export the resulting calc field out of FMP with the carriage returns internal to the field retained. At this point you will strike a problem, as FMP replaces all carriage returns within fields on export (so that they do not get confused with end-of-record which is signified by a carriage return).

The way around this is by the use of any of various plug-ins which allow (among other things) the writing of data to a file with its carriage returns intact. Examples include Troi File from Troi Automatistering, SAVEit from CNS, File Tool from Waves in Motion and File Toolbox from Protolight.

The URLs for the vendors of the four plug-ins mentioned are:

Troi File:

http://www.troi.com/software/fileplugin.html

Comm-Unity Networking Systems:

http://www.cnsplug-ins.com/

Waves in Motion:

http://wmotion.com/plugins.html

Protolight:

http://www.protolight.com/plPLUGs.html

There are probably others that might also be suitable, but the above four will give you a place to start. Personally I use the Troi plug-in for this kind of work and can recommend it. Notably, the Protolight plug-in is freeware, though it is also less flexible than some of the other contenders, and is not presently available for OS-X.

[LaRetta]

Thank you all so much for your input. Wow, looks like a challenge. But, I have no choice. And just think how much I'll learn from it all!

[LaRetta]

Great news! I called the people who will receive the electronic billing file. It seems they are a 'clearing house' for Medicaid. They receive 'all types' of files. They write an import batch which matches the type of file being imported. They told me "tell us how you will send it and we'll take care of the rest!" Ahhhh, life is good! This will save me so much time! I can export as comma-delimited and that's all I need to do! Thank you so much for all your help!