Transaction Editing - TLOGic Help

Non-Destructive Editing - Your Data is Safe

TLOGic's Transaction Editor uses a clone-and-export approach:

Your original TLOG file is never modified - it remains exactly as it was when you loaded it
When you open a transaction for editing, TLOGic creates a complete clone of the transaction data in memory
All your edits are made to this cloned copy, not the original
When you export, a new file is created (e.g., edited_transaction_42.dat)
You can close the editor at any time and your original data remains untouched

Overview

The Transaction Editor allows you to modify individual TLOG transactions for various purposes:

Testing: Create test transactions with specific field values for RIO Server or POSLOG testing
Debugging: Modify field values to reproduce and diagnose parsing or transformation issues
Development: Generate sample transactions with specific characteristics for code testing
Training: Create example transactions for training materials or demonstrations

Getting Started

Load a TLOG File: Open TLOGic and load the TLOG file containing the transaction you want to edit.
Select a Transaction: In the Raw Data view, click on the transaction you want to modify to select it.
Open the Editor: Click the Edit button (pencil icon) in the transaction detail toolbar. The Transaction Editor modal will open with a cloned copy of the transaction.
Make Your Changes: Expand transaction strings to view and edit individual fields. Add, remove, or modify fields as needed.
Export: Click the Export button to download your modified transaction as a new binary file.

Editing Operations

Edit Field Values

Click on any field value to modify it. The editor validates your input based on the field type (ASCII, BCD, numeric, etc.).

Add Fields

Insert new fields at any position within a transaction string. Specify field type, size, and initial value.

Remove Fields

Delete individual fields from a transaction string. Use caution as this may affect transaction validity.

Add Strings

Insert new transaction strings at any position. Select the string type and configure its fields.

Remove Strings

Delete entire transaction strings from the cloned transaction.

Duplicate Strings

Clone an existing string to quickly create similar entries with minor modifications.

Field Types

The editor supports all IBM TLOG field types. When adding or editing fields, choose the appropriate type:

Code	Type	Description	Example
A	ASCII	Text fields - item descriptions, operator names, etc.	`MILK 2% GAL`
P	Packed BCD	Numeric values encoded in Binary Coded Decimal format	`001299` (encodes to 3 bytes)
N	Numeric	Numeric values stored as ASCII characters	`12345`
B	Binary	Raw binary data	Hex values
I	Integer	4-byte integer values	`65535`
D	Date	Date fields in YYMMDD format	`240115` (Jan 15, 2024)
T	Time	Time fields in HHMMSS format	`143022` (2:30:22 PM)

BCD Encoding: Packed BCD (type P) is commonly used for prices and quantities in IBM TLOG format. The editor automatically handles BCD encoding and decoding - just enter the numeric value and the editor converts it correctly.

Undo and Redo

The editor maintains a complete history of your changes:

Undo: Click the undo button or press Ctrl+Z to reverse your last change
Redo: Click the redo button or press Ctrl+Y to reapply a reversed change
Up to 50 undo steps are preserved
History is cleared when you close the editor or export

Validation

The editor validates your changes in real-time:

Errors

Critical issues that prevent export. These must be fixed before you can export the transaction. Examples: invalid field values, missing required fields, encoding errors.

Warnings

Potential issues that don't prevent export. You can proceed, but should review. Examples: field value exceeds defined size, unusual value ranges.

Exporting Your Changes

Export Process

Review your changes and ensure there are no validation errors
Click the Export button in the editor toolbar
A new binary file is generated with your modifications
The file downloads automatically as edited_transaction_[index].dat
The original TLOG file remains completely unchanged

The exported file contains:

A complete, valid IBM TLOG transaction
All your modifications with proper field encoding
Correct BCD encoding for packed numeric fields
Proper string delimiters and transaction structure

Using Exported Transactions: You can use exported transactions for:

Sending to RIO Server for testing
Including in load test packages
Debugging POSLOG transformation issues
Creating test data for development

Common Use Cases

Testing Edge Cases

Create transactions with specific characteristics to test how your systems handle unusual scenarios:

Very large item quantities or prices
Transactions with many line items
Special characters in item descriptions
Unusual tender combinations

Reproducing Bugs

Modify transactions to reproduce specific parsing or transformation issues:

Adjust field values that trigger specific code paths
Create minimal reproducible test cases
Isolate problematic data patterns

Development Testing

Generate test data for development and QA:

Create transactions for new store formats
Test handling of new transaction types
Validate POSLOG output for specific scenarios

Best Practices

Do

Review the original transaction structure before editing
Use undo frequently if you're unsure about changes
Validate your changes before exporting
Keep exported files organized with descriptive names
Test exported transactions in a non-production environment first

Avoid

Removing required fields that break transaction structure
Ignoring validation errors or warnings
Using edited transactions in production without testing
Changing field types without understanding the impact

Important: While the Transaction Editor is powerful, modified transactions may not be valid for all downstream systems. Always test exported transactions in your development or QA environment before using them in production scenarios.