EDI to JSON

Convert X12, EDIFACT, and HL7 files to readable JSON with EDIReader Framework Community Edition.

This repository is a small Java command-line application with two purposes:

• Convert an EDI file to a JSON file.
• Show how to use the Framework's EdiToJson class in your own Java application.

The CLI source is deliberately short. Maven supplies the Framework from Maven Central: com.berryworks:edireader-framework-community:5.12.0.

Quick start

To build, install JDK 21 or later and Maven 3.9 or later, then run these commands from the repository directory:

mvn clean verify
java -jar target/edi-to-json.jar samples/x12-850.edi target/purchase-order.json

Open target/purchase-order.json to see the converted purchase order. The output preserves the interchange, functional groups, transactions, and segment data, including the purchase order number DEMO-PO-001.

The build produces target/edi-to-json.jar, a runnable JAR containing its runtime dependencies. You can copy that file to another directory or machine; only Java 21 or later is needed to run it. Maven is needed only to build.

Prebuilt reboot downloads will be published on the GitHub Releases page. Until then, build from source using the commands above.

Command line

java -jar edi-to-json.jar input.edi output.json
java -jar edi-to-json.jar --help
java -jar edi-to-json.jar -h

Use the path to your JAR if it is in another directory. Quote filenames containing spaces. Conversion takes exactly two filenames, in input/output order. --help and -h show help when used alone.

• Input and output use UTF-8.
• JSON is formatted for readability.
• Descriptive annotations and recoverable-error recovery are disabled.
• Existing output is overwritten. Input and output must be different files, including when symbolic links or hard links identify the same file.
• A failed conversion may leave partial output; discard it.
• Successful conversion is silent. Errors and invalid-argument usage go to stderr; requested help goes to stdout.

Exit code	Meaning
0	Conversion succeeded, or help was displayed
1	Conversion or file I/O failed
2	Incorrect number of arguments

The CLI currently has no conversion options or stdin/stdout conversion mode. The Java API provides more configuration choices.

Samples

All public examples live in samples/.

File	Example
x12-850.edi	X12 4010 purchase order: one item, synthetic buyer and supplier
x12-824.edi	X12 5010 application advice
x12-837.edi	X12 5010 professional healthcare claims, with two transaction sets
edifact-invoic.edi	EDIFACT D93A invoice
hl7-adt.hl7	HL7 v2.5 ADT A01 admission message, entirely synthetic with no PHI

For example:

java -jar target/edi-to-json.jar samples/x12-837.edi target/claims.json
java -jar target/edi-to-json.jar samples/edifact-invoic.edi target/invoice.json
java -jar target/edi-to-json.jar samples/hl7-adt.hl7 target/admission.json

These examples demonstrate conversion; they are not implementation guides or certification of trading-partner compliance.

Use the Framework in Java

Add the Community Edition dependency to your application's pom.xml:

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.berryworks</groupId>
    <artifactId>edireader-framework-community</artifactId>
    <version>5.12.0</version>
</dependency>

The core conversion is just a few lines:

import com.berryworks.edireader.json.fromedi.EdiToJson;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Path;

// Inside your method; handle or declare conversion and I/O exceptions.
EdiToJson converter = new EdiToJson();
converter.setFormatting(true);
converter.setAnnotated(false);

try (var reader = Files.newBufferedReader(Path.of("input.edi"), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
     var writer = Files.newBufferedWriter(Path.of("output.json"), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)) {
    converter.asJson(reader, writer);
}

The complete CLI adds argument checks, input-file protection, and error reporting. Conversion streams through a reader and writer rather than loading the whole input file. asJson(Reader, Writer) closes the output writer, so use a dedicated writer.

The CLI fixes its defaults to keep the example easy to read. Applications can configure the Framework directly, for example with setAnnotated(true) or setFormatting(false).

Build and test

mvn clean verify

The tests convert every sample, check help and exit codes, and verify that the input is protected when the output identifies the same file. The same tests run again against a copy of the packaged JAR in a temporary directory, without an external dependency classpath.

mvn test runs the compiled-code tests; mvn package creates the JAR; mvn verify also checks the standalone JAR. For a GitHub Release, upload target/edi-to-json.jar. The original-edi-to-json.jar file is a build intermediate without bundled dependencies, not the download artifact.

Maven Shade packages the application and runtime dependencies, retaining parser resources and service registrations. A no-operation SLF4J provider keeps normal CLI execution quiet; the CLI reports conversion failures itself.

License and contact

See the EDIReader Framework Community License for the terms that apply to Community Edition. Public availability does not make the Framework open-source software. Bundled dependencies retain their respective licenses.

Questions and commercial licensing: json@canabrook.org.

Historical release notes describe earlier versions of this project.