Encoding Characters using Free Text

Starting with BizTalk Server 2013 R2, “FreeText” can be used in a field or segment. Data in the “FreeText” field/segment is not parsed.

What you need to know

Separator	Behavior	Example
~: Repetition separator	In a field, Repetition (~) is treated as a repeating delimiter. In a non-free segment, Repetition (~) is treated as a repeating delimiter. In a free segment, Repetition (~) is treated as part of Free Text, not a new repetition.	In the following example, FRE is free Segment. It can have any character as free text, including ~. Any additional repetitions (~) are not considered a repetition delimiter and are treated as the Free Text content. Validation succeeds even if the child of the Free Segment is non-repeatable and contains repetition (~). FRE example: FRE| Foo&^|Foo&^|Foo&^|Foo&^~Foo&^|Foo&^|Foo&^|Foo&^ In the following example, EVN4 is defined as free text because it contains &^. When the “|” delimiter is encountered, it is treated as the end of the current Free Text. EVN example: EVN||||Foo&^Foo&^Foo&^Foo&^Foo&^|| In the following example, the first child of EVN5 is defined as free text because it contains &. When the “^” delimiter is encountered, it is treated as the end of the current Free Text. EVN5 example: EVN|||| | Foo&Foo&Foo&Foo&Foo&^5.2| In the following example, 5.2.1 and 5.2.2 cannot have any delimiters as Free Text, even if it is defined as FreeText in the schema. 5.2.1 and 5.2.2 example: EVN|||| | Foo1^5.2.1&5.2.2| In the following example, assume EVN4 can be repeated and is of the Free Text type. Foo1&^ is treated as the first repetition and Foo2&^ is treated as the second repetition. If EVN4 is not repeatable (MaxOccurs = 1), then the validation fails if it contains ~, even if it is of Free Text type (like in the cases of non-Free Text fields). EVN4 example: EVN |||| Foo1&^~ Foo2&^ ||
|: Field separator	If a field delimiter is missing after the segment tag of a free segment, Validation succeeds.	In the following examples, FRE is a Free Text type. Free Text content can be started immediately after the FRE segment Tag, with or without “|” field delimiter. Both examples succeed: FREabc FRE|abc In the following examples, validation succeeds: Input message to DASM: FRE|abcd Output from DASM: <SegmentData>|abcd</SegmentData> Output from ASM: FRE|abcd Input message to DASM: FREabcd Output from DASM: <SegmentData>abcd</SegmentData> Output from ASM: FREabcd
Parent-Child optional	The parent-child optional validation rules still apply.	Assume the parent is optional and one of its children is mandatory, then: - If none of the other children and the mandatory child are not populated, then message validation succeeds. - If at least one child is populated, then the mandatory child should also be populated. Otherwise, message validation fails. In the following example, Field 1 as optional. Its 1.a child is optional and is the Free Text type. Its 1.b child is mandatory: xyz|1.a^1.b|2 In the following sample message, dfssdf&sdf is considered as one single element - 1.a. The parser checks if 1.b exists. When the | is reached, it assumes 1.b is not populated and message validation fails: xyz|dfssdf&sdf|2
MSH, FSH, and BSH segments	Free Text is ignored for all fields. These segments correspond to the header section. Validation occurs as it normally would, even if they are defined as Free Text.
\: Escape character	If there are even number of “\” in the element, validation succeeds (even if they are not contiguous). If there are odd number, validation fails. The same behavior continues for non- Free Text fields. With Free Text fields, there is no validation on the number; it treated as Free Text content.

Message Delimiters provides more information on the separators in these examples.

Using Free Text

1. In the project in Visual Studio, open the schema.

2. Right-click a record, select Insert Schema Node, select Child Field Element.

3. In Properties, select Data Type, and then select Free Text (SimpleType).

See Also

Processing HL7 Messages