Patent attributes
An EDI document instance is generated or edited via an editor tool that also displays a corresponding EDI schema, thus allowing editing of an EDI document instance alongside its corresponding EDI schema, thereby interrelating EDI document creation or editing with the corresponding EDI schema. Either the EDI document instance or the EDI schema elements can be modified via the editor tool, and in various non-limiting embodiments, any errors in the formation or modification of an EDI document are automatically highlighted or otherwise recorded and/or displayed via the editor tool. EDI instances can be edited in either native or XML form.