HDX PFL Client ( MANUFACTURER )

 
Overview - How It All Works:

The Price File Library ( PFL ) supports two different versions of the Product Communications File Specifications ( PCFS ) format, 5.12 and 5.2. This will allow manufacturers and distributors to use the format appropriate to their needs. Here are some rules to remember when uploading data into the PFL:

  • Each price file to be loaded into the PFL can contain only one Buyer's DUNS + 4 ( FIELD062 ) per price file upload ( i.e. FIELD062 has to be the same for every record in an upload price file ).
  • For every record in every upload file, Parent DUNS + 4 ( Field009 ), must match the DUNS + 4 on file for the Username currently logged in. The DUNS + 4 on file for a manufacturer Username is displayed upon entry to the PFL.
  • All data currently in the PFL for the DUNS + 4 number ( FIELD062 ) in an upload price file will be deleted before the new price file is actually loaded into the PFL. This deletion occurs after the upload price file has been verified and the user elects to complete the upload.
  • All data in the upload price file has to adhere to the PCFS specifications for the Format chosen at the login.
  • Two formats are supported: PCFS 5.12 and PCFS 5.2, click the link for more information.
  • If an Excel file is being uploaded, make sure that each cell is formatted "Text
    • "
  • If an Excel file is being uploaded, make sure that the worksheet with pricing is named "PRICEFILE". This tells the program which worksheet to upload!
  • The PFL "Production" Library and PFL "Future" Library are separate data repositories. The data in the selected library, when uploading or downloading, is unique to the chosen library.
  • Distributors can not see a newly uploaded price file until it is enabled by the Manufacturer. To view whether a price file is enabled or not click the authorization button.
  • The yellow box at the top of the windows form is the message center. It will display what the program is doing and communicate any errors that may occur.
  • A manufacturer may have multiple logins. Each login can only contain one generic price file ( FIELD062 = 0000000000000 ). A generic price file can have many users mapped to it. They will all see the same data. The only distributors that have access to the generic data are the distributors that have been given permission to see it through the authorization interface. If a generic price file is removed it will not affect permissions. The next time a generic price file is loaded into the PFL and enabled, the authorized distributors will see the new generic file ( i.e. generic authorizations stay intact ). No one is given authorization to view generic price file data by default.
  • When the application is entered, it expects a working directory ( folder ) C:\Temp to which the user has write/delete permission. If this directory is not found, the application attempts to create it. If unable to create this directory, the user is offered a Windows dialogue to create a working directory.

At the login screen the USERNAME , PASSWORD, and PCFS format are entered. Leave the UParam1 blank unless instructed otherwise by support.
 

 

After the USERNAME and PASSWORD are confirmed the following screen will appear. This is the Manufacturer main screen from which generic and specific price files will be uploaded and downloaded. Upon initial entry to this screen, the Manufacturer's DUNS + 4 number and additional information for all distributors in the system is displayed. A file ( which may be printed ) named PFLDistributors.txt containing this distributor information is placed in the working directory.

Future and Production Libraries ( Radio Buttons )

The application allows manufacturers to choose one of two libraries to modify or upload price files to, Production for current active price files or Future for price files that are not yet active. The application only modifies data in one library at a time. Once a library is selected, all changes made apply only to the data in the selected library. If the Future library is selected and contains data, a button labeled 'Future To Production' will appear. Clicking this button will move the data for the DUNS # selected in the DUNS # drop down from Future to Production ( removing the data from Future ).

 View Data ( Button ):

This button takes the user to the view data screen which will give the user the ability to search the PFL for a part and all related information.

Progress Bar: ( Only Visible At Certain Times )

This will appear whenever a price file is being uploaded or downloaded, informing the user of the percentage of the operation that is complete.

Authorization ( Button ) :

This button takes the user to the authorization screen. This is where specific and generic data view authorizations are managed.

Upload File ( Button ):

This button starts the process of uploading a price file from a users local computer into the PFL. The first thing that will appear is a dialogue box asking you to select the file to be uploaded.  There are three acceptable formats for files to be uploaded. The formats are defined below and linked to samples.

Fixed Format - Is a text file where each line represents one part. The field widths are determined by the count of characters as specified in the PCFS format ( either 5.12 or 5.2 ). Here is a Fixed Format file with a header denoting where each field breaks.

CSV ( Comma Separated Values ) - Is a text file where each line represents one part. Fields, and hence lines, may have variable ( data dependent ) lengths. A specimen CSV data file is here.

Microsoft Office Excel - Is a spreadsheet format written and distributed by Microsoft, make sure that the worksheet with pricing is named "PRICEFILE" and all columns are typed Text. ( Excel 2003 ( 11.8146.8132 ) SP2 was used for testing )

The application infers the upload format from the file extension, .txt implies Fixed Format, .csv implies CSV and .xls implies Microsoft OfficeExcel. Once the file is selected, the upload process is begun. First, the data is validated and any errors in the data being uploaded are displayed. Any errors must be resolved before the price file is allowed into the PFL. When the validation is successful, a message box will appear asking you to confirm that you want to proceed with the upload. Remember all of the data currently in the PFL with the same DUNS + 4 ( FIELD062 ) will be replaced with the uploaded data! Once the data is uploaded a message box will appear asking whether you would like to review the data. If you choose "Yes" a copy of the data will be extracted from the PFL and be displayed in the lower grid along with a new button "Enable Price File". At this point, the data is loaded in the PFL, but users cannot see it until the manufacturer enables it. After reviewing the data, you can enable the file by clicking "Enable Price File". When you enable it, an email will be sent to the distributor letting them know a new price file has been loaded. The data has been entered into whichever library is selected, Production or Future. 

 

DUNS # ( Pulldown )

This is a list all uploaded DUNS # in the PFL. Generic is the equivalent to FIELD062 being 0000000000000.

DOWNLOAD FILE ( Button )

This button allows manufacturers to download a price file. A DUNS # and a file format must be selected before the operation is allowed. Four file formats are available: CSV, Excel, Fixed, and XML. NOTE: The information downloaded will be for the DUNS # that is selected in the pulldown.

DOWNLOAD All ( Button )

This button allows manufacturers to download all price files in the PFL. A file format will have to be selected before the operation is allowed. Four file formats are available: CSV, Excel, Fixed, and XML. NOTE: One file for each DUNS # in the pulldown is generated.

For the first of the files downloaded, the user is offered a Windows Save File Dialog where the file name and directory are chosen. The file name must begin with the 13 digit Buyer's DUNS + 4 ( FIELD062) of the first customer in the dropdown. The default file name is DDDDDDDDDDDDD_X_MM_DD_HH_HHMMSS where DDDDDDDDDDDDD is the Buyer's DUNS + 4 (FIELD062), X will be P if the file is from Production and F if from Future, MM_DD_YY_HHMMSS is the date and time the file was downloaded. After the file name and directory are assigned, the user is offered the option to add a prefix to the file name. The prefix will be assigned to all files downloaded and may be used with the Command Line execution of the code.

Help ( Button )

This will automatically open Internet Explorer to the Help system located on the Internet.

Exit ( Button )

This will close the application.

 

View Data ( Button )

The View Data screen allows the manufacturer to do a smart search of all of the Production ( Future ) records he has entered into the PFL. Enter a search string into the FILED002 Contains textbox then click the "Display" button ( or Enter ). Below we entered a 1 and the system returned the parts in the system that have a 1 in them. If the search returns too many results, a box will pop up saying that the search needs to be narrowed by changing the search criteria. Note: The search is performed in whichever library is specified, Future or Production.

 
 

Authorization ( Button )

The Authorization page is where price file data can be enabled, disabled, and/or deleted and access to generic data authorized. There are two different views - Generic ( FIELD062 = 0000000000000 ) and Specific. If the Generic View is selected two grids will appear. The upper grid displays those distributors which are authorized to view the generic price data. To remove a distributor from the authorized list, click "Del". Doing so will return the distributor to the lower grid containing eligible distributors. The lower grid displays all distributors eligible to view the generic price data. To authorize an eligible distributor, click "Add". When a user is added ( i.e. given permission to view generic data ) they will be emailed to let them know that have access to this data. The return button, in the upper right, will take you back to the upload screen.

 The "Disable/Enable Generic" button ( reads "Disable" or "Enable" ) will enable or disable the generic data for all authorized users. You can also delete the generic pricing data by clicking on the "Remove Generic" button ( reads "Execute" ). Note: When you enable generic price data, email is automatically sent to users that have been authorized to view generic data ( the users in the upper grid ). The lower grid contains all of the Distributors in the PFL that are not authorized to view generic data and for which specific price file data has not been uploaded.

If Specific data is uploaded for a Distributor in the Generic authorized list, that Distributor will be removed from the Generic list. If a Distributor's Specific table is removed, they must be manually added to the Generic authorized list by the Manufacturer.

 

When you click the View radio button Specific, a grid will display the distributors that have specific price data loaded in to the PFL. The specific price data can be deleted from the PFL by clicking on the "DEL" in red by the Distributor whose data you would like to remove. The price data State ( Enabled or Disabled ) can be changed  by clicking on the "Enable" or "Disable" in red by the Distributor. When you click on Enable an email will be automatically sent to the distributor altering them to the status change. The current status of the price files is located in the State column. The date the file was uploaded along with the number of records that are in the PFL for that distributor is displayed in the right side of the grid. Files ( which may be printed ) named PFLGenericP.txt, PFLGenericF.txt, FLEligibleP.txt, PFLEligibleF.txt, PFLSpecificP.txt and PFLSpecificF.txt summarizing the contents of the Generic, Eligible, and Specific lists are placed in the working directory.

Email notice summary:
   View Generic:
      Generic Uploaded and Enabled > email sent to all authorized to view Generic
      Generic is Enabled - click "Add" > email sent to Distributor authorized to view - click "Del" > no email sent - click "Disable" > no email sent
      Generic is Disabled - click "Add" > no email sent - click "Del" > no email sent - click "Enable" > email sent to all authorized to view Generic
   View Specific:
      Specific Uploaded and Enabled > email sent to Distributor - Specific Uploaded and not Enabled > no email sent
     Click "Disable" > no email sent - click "Enable" > email sent - click "Del" > email sent

If you include one of the following sequences of characters 'COPY_ME', 'copy_me', 'COPY_US' or 'copy_us' ( see above ) when including additional text with your e-mail message(s), the sequence will be removed before the e-mail message(s) are sent and the Manufacturer's first e-mail address ( 'COPY_ME', 'copy_me' ) or all of the Manufacturer's e-mail addresses ( 'COPY_US', 'copy_us' )  will be copied.

If it is desired to clear data from the PFL for a Specific DUNS without notifying the Distributor via email ( as opposed to disabling the data which will not notify the Distributor but will not clear the data from the PFL or deleting the data which will clear the data but also email ), you can upload a one record 'dummy' file and not enable the file. If you delete Generic data, no email notice is sent.

Command Line Execution ( Manufacturers )

To run from the Command Line ( assumes the .exe name is HDXPFL_CLIENT APPLICATION )

"HDXPFL_CLIENT APPLICATION.exe" USERNAME=YourUsername PASSWORD=YourPassword DIRECTORY=WorkingDirectory FUTURE=Y PCFS=5.12 VALIDATEONLY=Y ENABLE=Y FILEPREFIX=Prefix

Where YourUsername is your USERNAME assigned by HDX
Where YourPassword is your PASSWORD assigned by HDX
Where WorkingDirectory is the full path to a working directory to which you have Write/Delete permissions
            This is the directory containing the files to be uploaded
Where FUTURE=Y if you want the uploaded files to be put into Future - if FUTURE is not specified, the default is Production
Where PCFS=5.12 specifies PCFS Format 5.12 - if PCFS is not specified, the default is PCFS Format 5.2
Where VALIDATEONLY=Y specifies that validation only is to be performed - if VALADATEONLY is not specified, the default is upload
Where ENABLE=N specifies that the uploaded files are not to be Enabled - if ENABLE is not specified, the default is Enable
Where FILEPREFIX=Prefix indicates that only files whose names begin with Prefix and whose type is .csv or .txt or .xls are to be considered
            Otherwise all .csv .txt and .xls files ( except those with 'HDXPFL_LOG_' in their name ) in the WorkingDirectory are considered

When run in Command Line mode, a Log file named HDXPFL_LOG_MM_DD_YY_HHMMSS.txt is generated in the WorkingDirectory

Example: "HDXPFL_CLIENT APPLICATION.exe" USERNAME=YourUsername PASSWORD=YourPassword "DIRECTORY=C:\\Temp"
The above will attempt to upload and Enable all .csv .txt .xls files in C:\Temp ( except those with 'HDXPFL_LOG_' in their name ) into YourUsername's Production PFL assuming PCFS Format 5.2.

Example: "HDXPFL_CLIENT APPLICATION.exe" USERNAME=YourUsername PASSWORD=YourPassword "DIRECTORY=C:\\Temp" FUTURE=Y PCFS=5.12 ENABLE=N FILEPREFIX=DOTHISONE
The above will attempt to upload but not Enable all .csv .txt .xls files in C:\Temp ( except those with 'HDXPFL_LOG_' in their name ) whose file name starts with 'DOTHISONE' into YourUsername's Future PFL assuming PCFS Format 5.12.

Sample .bat File
REM Specimen HDXPFL_CLIENT APPLICATION .bat File
REM Navigate To Directory Where The .exe Is
CD C:\HDX\PROGRAMS\HDXPFL_CLIENT APPLICATION
REM Run ( Files To Be Uploaded Are In C:\Temp Prefixed With 'PFL_' )
"HDXPFL_CLIENT APPLICATION.exe" USERNAME=YourUsername PASSWORD=YourPassword "DIRECTORY=C:\\Temp" FUTURE=N PCFS=5.12 VALIDATEONLY=N ENABLE=Y FILEPREFIX=PFL_

ODBC ( Interactive Only )

If you have an ODBC Connection to your underlying database structures available, you may elect to write your own 'SELECTS' and upload a DataSet which is the result of your 'SELECT'. If you are using ODBC, when you click the 'Upload File' button on the normal Manufacturer's screen, you are taken to the screen below. If you selected Future on the normal Manufacturer's screen, then the ODBC screen will upload to future. This will be indicated by the blue text 'To Future' immediately to the right of the Upload Duns' button. This may be used to 'test' load without affecting the Production price files. The default is upload to Production.

The textbox labeled 'Directory' contains the directory specification of the various text files created and used on this screen. The default is 'C:\PFLODBC' with your USERNAME appended. The files created and placed in this directory are Connection.txt, DUNSSelect.txt, and DataSelect.txt. Connection.txt holds the connection string, DUNSSelect.txt holds the DUNS Select statement, and DataSelect.txt holds the Data Select statement. The listbox labeled 'Connection' contains the ODBC Connection string. The listbox labeled 'DUNS Select' contains the Select statement which will generate the list of Distributor DUNS numbers which appear in the listbox labeled 'DUNS # ( Distributor )'. The listbox labeled 'Data Select' contains the Select statement which will generate the Price File to upload after the string 'DUNS # ( Distributor )' is replaced with one of the DUNS numbers in the 'DUNS # ( Distributor )' listbox. ( i.e. the 'Data Select' statement must contain the string 'DUNS # ( Distributor )' ). The two unlabeled textboxes are message center style display areas.

Show DUNS ( Button )

This will open the ODBC Connection and run the DUNS Select statement and populate the 'DUNS # ( Distributor )' listbox with the resulting DataSet. The DataSet is expected to contain one column whose data is the 13 digit DUNS + 4 numbers of the distributors for which price file data will be uploaded. Items in the listbox may be selected individually ( hold the 'Ctrl' key for multiple selection ). To unselect a selected item reselect it.

Select All ( Button )

This will select all entries in the 'DUNS # ( Distributor )' listbox.

Don't Enable ( CheckBox )

If you check this box, when a file(s) are uploaded, they will not be Enabled and no email message will be sent to the distributor(s).

List DUNS By Name ( CheckBox )

If you check this box, DUNS # will be listed in alphabetic company name order instead of the order generated by the DUNS Select

Upload DUNS ( Button )

This will cycle through all selected entries in the 'DUNS # ( Distributor )' listbox, replace the string 'DUNS # ( Distributor )'  in the 'Data Select' with the DUNS # from the listbox, and run the 'Data Select. It will then attempt to Upload the DataSet resulting from the Select Using the PCFS format selected on the login screen, the DataSet is expected to contain the number of columns specified by the PCFS format, in the order specified by the PCFS format.

Exit ( Button )

This will exit the PFL application.

Return ( Button )

This will return to the normal Manufacturer's screen.

The following are used primarily for diagnostic purposes.

Don't Save Selects ( CheckBox )

When you run a Select, the ODBC Connection string and the Select Statement are saved prior to execution. The Connection is saved in Connection.txt, the DUNS Select is saved in DUNSSelect.txt, and the Data Select is saved in DataSelect.txt. All these files are in Directory specified in the Directory textbox. If you check this box, the save is not performed.

On Upload Show Data Only ( CheckBox )

If you check this box, when you Upload a file the upload process will be terminated after the DataSet is formed but before the Upload. The DataSet will be displayed in the grid at the bottom of the screen. Included in FIELD001 data will be the Row identifier used in reporting input data errors. It is anticipated that this will be used when only one DUNS # is selected in the listbox.

Show Data ( Button )

This will display the DataSet corresponding to the last Price file uploaded in the grid at the bottom of the screen. It is anticipated that this will be used when only one DUNS # is selected in the listbox.

Save Data ( Button )

This will save the DataSet corresponding to the last Price file uploaded in an .xml ( default ) file. It is anticipated that this will be used when only one DUNS # is selected in the listbox.

Reset ( Button )

This will clear the grid, the status areas, and various checkboxes.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the HDX PFL Client please feel free to contact us at Information@FleetCross.com 1-888-242-0457.