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Using the msgtransform Tool

The msgtransform tool is a useful command line utility that allows you to programmatically call the Chameleon mapping logic on a group of messages stored in the HL7 log file. For the purposes of this tutorial, you will use this utility to parse multiple ADT messages.

	Download this sample message file and save it in the same directory that you saved the sample VMD file in (e.g. c:\test).

To use the msgtransform tool:

• Open a Command Prompt window, and navigate to the directory that you saved the sample VMD file in. For example:

C:\>cd test

C:\test>

• Parse the sample message file using the msgtransform utility. For example:

C:\test>msgtransform --table msgtransform.vmd messages.txt output.txt
Message Format: HL7Standard
8 messages
Elapsed time:
8 messages processed in less than a second!

To invoke the msgtransform tool, only three parameters are necessary. Using the above as an example, examine the three required parameters:

• Keep the Command Prompt window open.
• Examine the output.txt file. In the file you will notice that the sending application is MESA_ADT. In this example, the sending application will always be XYZ. Therefore, the next step is to define a constant value for the Sending Application field.
• Return to the msgtransform.vmd file, and double-click the MSH segment in the Workspace. The MSH segment definition appears.
• Locate Field 3 - Sending Application.

MSH Segment Definition, Showing Segment Application Highlighted

• Click the Inbound Script ellipsis button for Sending Application. The Editing Script window appears.
• In the Editing Script window, type value="XYZ".

Defining the Constant Value

• Click OK to complete the changes.
• Click the Save button to save the VMD file.

The next step is to use the msgtransform tool to output the changes to a separate file.