[HAPI-devel] Segment Terminator Rules for PIPE format

[Jim K. <ji...@ho...>]

I just started working with an HL7 interface that requires pipe-delimited 
style messages.  I'm using HAPI to generate the messages being sent and for 
some reason, the receiving gateway doesn't like what it's getting.

HAPI is generating a MSH segment with delimiters for MSH.1 thru MSH.12 with 
a cr/lf immediately following.  It looks perfectly valid, but the interface 
chokes on it.  I have to add the MSH.13 pipe delimiter after the MSH.12 
content in order for the message to be accepted.  This is the same for any 
message that doesn't have a value in the last possible field of a segment.

This is what HAPI produces:
MSH|^~\&|   |State Laboratory 
Institute^22D0650270^CLIA|ELRMADPH|MA|20050713113529||ORU^R01|2005071311352900000|P|2.3.1<hex 
0D0A>

This is what the interface likes:
MSH|^~\&|   |State Laboratory 
Institute^22D0650270^CLIA|ELRMADPH|MA|20050713113529||ORU^R01|2005071311352900000|P|2.3.1|<hex 
0D0A>

I've been delving into the HL7 specification docs on HL7.org but they're not 
terribly helpful.  I've got some pull with the interface vendor so if 
they've done it wrong, we can have them change it.

So, does anyone know which way is the right way?? Is HAPI failing to put a 
trailing delimiter in some cases?

thanks in advance.

Jim