The message definition includes the message structure, and each element in the message structure contains properties that you can edit. The properties depend on the element and its position in the message structure.
Message structures are defined according to the messaging standard. For detailed information about the message structure and properties, see the appropriate messaging standard. For example, for detailed information about HL7 message structure and properties, see the HL7 documentation.
Message structure
The message uses a hierarchical structure that labels each structural element with an icon.
The following table describes the icons in the message structure:
Icon
Structural element
Description
Segment group
A group of segments that can be repeated.
Segment
A sequence of data elements.
Composite or field
A structure of data elements.
Component
A container for a data element.
Data element
A simple data item.
Messaging standards use different names for structural elements and define how they are nested. In some standards, elements have names such as record and field instead of segment and composite. A segment might contain composites and data elements, or a composite might contain data elements. Some standards define additional constructs such as options and alternatives.
Global and positional settings
Structural elements have global settings and positional settings that you can edit. Global settings apply to all instances of the element, and positional settings apply to the selected instance of the element.
For example, a global setting might allow an element to contain any of 10 enumerated values. A positional setting might limit the element to a subset of two values.
