X12 is a standard for EDI trading in commercial and non-commercial sectors. X12 has an underlying syntax, which is an ANSI standard. Within that syntax, there are directories of data elements, composite data elements, segments, and messages. There are conventions for placing messages in an "envelope" which identifies the sender and receiver and other attributes of a transmission. For more information on the X12 messaging standard, see the ASC X12 Web site.
X12 messages can be modeled using the MRM Tagged/Delimited String Format (TDS).
If you are working with X12 messages, you can define the delimiters to be used in the message itself using the mandatory Interchange Control Header element. To enable this element to be recognized as an X12 Service String, you must set the element property Interpret Element Value to X12 Service String. You must also set the delimiter values to the mnemonic values defaulted by setting the Message Standard property to X12.
A predefined message set solution for X12 can be purchased from IBM.