ANSI X12 Components


Transaction Set

A transaction set is one electronic document (e.g.., a purchase order).  The data included in a transaction set conveys the same information as a conventional printed document.

Segment

A segment is a line of data in a standard EDI transaction.  EDI transactions are made up of multiple segments.  A segment would contain multiple elements.

Element

An element is the smallest item of information in an EDI transaction and represents line item data of a particular document.