Why EDI and API are different sides of the same coin

[donzog]

Have you ever wondered if those "EDI vs. API" articles are legit and why they got it all wrong?!? EDI and API are different references to the same concept, e.g., they are essentially the same thing.

From Wikipedia:

Electronic data interchange (EDI) is the concept of businesses electronically communicating information

An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other

Our "Why we created our EDI API?" (https://support.edifabric.com/hc/en-us/articles/360027505811-Why-we-created-EDI-Developer-API) article offers a different perspective on the "EDI vs.API" narrative.

[raydiatian]

If you have to use EDI and you’re not already cornered into using EdiFabric, use Stedi.com instead. Far better experience, by and large.

[donzog]

How is the experience any better? EdiFabric is a library that you install locally, not a web API. As far as I'm aware, tsedi can't generate acknowledgments, can't import SEF, can't parse healthcare X12, can't parse any EDI format beyond some X12, can't split files, can't process large data, can't have custom validation, etc. In other words, it's a very immature and amateurish product. BTW how are you cornered into using EdiFabric? Anything specific to share?

[raydiatian]

Because I was able to offload the hassle of developing the infrastructure that would support producing EDI plaintext from data in our data model. Again, sorry.