Question
I'm using AS400 and desperately need to get it connected to my Magento Community website. There's a bunch of requirements to this AS400 integration that my developers are unable to handle. They are great Magento developers but I think they are not experts with integration like you.
Here are some requirements of the integration.
- IBM typically recommends setting up an FTP server to drop off and pick up files.
- All orders files coming from ABS must be encrypted using PGP encryption. A public key will be provided.
- Files dropped off on the server will NOT be encrypted.
The following are Bridge Files FROM the B2C website:
- B2COH - This is the order header file. There will be one record per order
- B2COD - This is the order detail file. There will be one record for each UPC purchased.
- BC2OS - This is the ship to file along with special instruction file. The file is set up to have multiple shiptos per order but we do not have that logic in our programs so we are expecting one record per order.
The following are Bridge Files TO the B2C website:
- WEBSTAT - This is the file that we will send back to contain the line detail status information. This does contain more information than you will probably need. This file can be used to display shipment and tracking number information. Once an order has been sent back to you in this file, ABS has accepted the order and there is no need to send to us anymore in the B2Coh, etc. files.
- PRODUCT - This is the file for the UPC bridging. It contains the style, color and size information along with the selling price information.
- NCSTYIW - Bridge file for UPC inventory. This file will contain the quantity available for sale for the items sent in the product file. If no record is sent, there is no inventory available to sell.
My developer tells me all these files are fixed-length records. Do you know what that is and can you help me?
Answer
Yes, you've come to the right place! As of this writing we've done over 1,200 integration and have been doing it for over a decade! We have seen a lot of things over the years including fix-length records. We also have everything in place to make this integration happen: the FTP site, a parser to process the files you're uploading, process to create and write files to be picked up on the FTP website by the AS400, not to mention the Magento extension itself to do the integration.
If you can give us the requirements of the fixed-field files that need to be created and read, we can get started on this integration for you. Additionally, if you can send us some real samples that would be most helpful. Thank you.