The Input Pass Thru tab is where you define the scalar or array fields that are to be sent to the output XML document. They may come directly from the input XML document (only scalar fields), Calculated Dates (scalars), or they may have been defaulted within ProAdmin (scalar and array fields). Some examples of fields that might be passed through are member name, Social Security Number, the status history with labels or codes, or an "output type code."
There is no limit to the number of fields that can be passed to the output document. Input Pass Thru values do not vary by decrement or benefit commencement date. However, if you need scalar values at a deeper level, you can write them to the decrement and/or benefit commencement levels. An error is generated if you attempt to write a scalar Input Pass Thru to the Payment Form level or to the Reserved XML Elements (e.g., FASDETAIL, ProAdminBFCDetails, or ProAdminInt). For arrays, an error is generated if you attempt to write to the decrement (or lower) level or to the Reserved XML Elements.
The main Input Pass Thru dialog lists all of input pass thru fields that are currently defined in this XML Output LInkage in a sortable listview field along with other key information about each field. If the field definition is incomplete, the first column for the field holds an asterisk (*). If the field definition references an XML tag with a PADescription attribute, the second column for the field holds an at sign (@). If the field is nillable in the XML Schema, the third column holds an "n". The last column shows the unique internal id for each Input Pass Thru field.
Please note that two XML Output Linkages may appear to be identical, but their internal ids for Plan Dependent and Input Pass Thru fields may differ, so if you have an Output Definition and switch the XML Output Linkage, the Output Definition fields may change without explanation (because the internal ids are different). Since the internal ids are shown on the XML Output Linkage view, it is advisable to compare XML Output Linkages before changing the reference in an Output Definition to make certain that only the desired changes are made.
XML Database Linkage: selects the input data linkage from the multi-choice field of XML Database Linkage library entries.
Select a field: contains the list of field descriptions that have been defined as Input Pass Thru. Click on an entry to edit the entry or click the New… button to create a new entry. Either action brings up, the Input Pass Thru dialog box:
Description: is a text field in which you enter a helpful descriptive name by which the entry will be known. This may be any phrase including spaces. All characters are available. These are the names you will see in the Output Definition Results report.
Select Input tag if you want to pull the Input Pass Thru value from the input XML. Click the
button to select the path and tag name from the input XML that you want written to the output. You may only select scalar values in the input XML.
Select Field if you want to pull the Input Pass Thru value from the calculated or defaulted Data Dictionary fields. This choice allows additional flexibility with the output in that you may output array fields and you may choose, in the case of coded fields, whether to output the code or the label. Choose the (scalar or array) Data Dictionary field you want written to the output.
Output tag: (if a scalar field) or Value tag: (if an array field) specifies the path and tag name in the output XML where the Input Pass Thru will be reported. Click the
If you selected Field (to pull the input pass thru from a calculated or defaulted Data Dictionary field) and then selected a coded field, choose whether to output the codes or the labels of the field. For example, for a location field, you would have the option of writing either the location number or the location name to XML.
If you selected Field (to pull the input pass thru from a calculated or defaulted Data Dictionary field) and then selected an array field, you must define these additional tags:
Specify the Container tag that will hold the array output. Click the
If the selected field is an effective date array field, specify the Effective date tag. Click the
If the selected field is a start/stop array field, specify the Start date tag and the Stop date tag. For each tag, click the
If you are setting up an Output Definition for a Desktop (XML) application type, you may optionally use the Input Pass Thrus defined here.
The Exclude zero value arrays from Output Definition results option allows you to exclude arrays that were (likely) defaulted to zero via the Census Specifications > Data Defaults "Default numeric fields to zero" parameter from your Server and Desktop XML Output Definition results. Excluded arrays will have a single row with a value of zero and an effective or stop date prior to the plan year containing the census hire date.
The Combine the XML input data and XML output results using this root node: option allows you to return combined input and output in a single node in the XML output. Specify this new root node in the box. Root names must start with a letter or underscore, but cannot start with the letters XML (or xml, or Xml, etc) or contain spaces. Root names can contain letters, digits, hyphens, underscores, and periods. ProAdmin enforces a minimum length of 4 characters. Please see Write XML input data to XML output for further details about this option.