Creating optional and repeating groups

For X12 transaction sets, select the Optional or Repeats check boxes to set the optional and repeat attributes of the transaction set’s segments.

You can do this for a single segment or a segment group. For a segment group, shift-click to select a group of segments from the current message definition. Then, select the Optional or Repeats check boxes to make the entire selection optional or repeating. Specify the number of repeats, if required.

Select the No Limit check box to specify an unlimited number of repeats. When No Limit is cleared, you can select the number of times the segment repeats.

This table shows the symbols used in the Definition of the Selected Transaction Set panel:

Symbols Description
[ ] Optional segments are enclosed in brackets.
{ } Repeating segments are enclosed in braces.
{[ ]} Repeating optional segments are enclosed in braces and brackets.
[{ }] Optional repeating segments are enclosed in brackets and braces.

If "[" or "{" is clicked, then everything up to the closing "]" or "}" is selected.

If an unbalanced group is selected, that is, only part of an optional or repeating group, then the Cut, Copy, Optional, and Repeats functions are unavailable.