Once you have a feel for the data, you need to consider what kind of segment and table grammar will be optimal for the data you are working with, depending on the function you want to achieve (i.e. parsing, generating, transformation, or translation). This section will focus primarily on parsing incoming messages and extracting the data into tables. The optimal format will depend primarily on the type of information you wish to extract. Typically your business logic will drive those requirements, which, in turn, will drive your message definitions.

A well thought-out strategy for parsing the incoming messages can make all the difference between an easy and stable implementation and weeks of frustration.