--- schema_version: "1" id: 536a4927c8d937de398ed54576a7f68fd60823bac97c3d9b27ca824a51b76106 title: Flat File Format collection: mulesoft version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/mulesoft/current/en-us/dataweave/2.6/dataweave-formats-flatfile.md canonical_url: https://docs.mulesoft.com/dataweave/2.6/dataweave-formats-flatfile source_site: docs.mulesoft.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 7d7a499ed0d46a127da9d583b235837f10a66e0ae7d517d319f8078a58565358 description: MuleSoft Documentation Site release: "2.6" latest: false --- --- product: DataWeave version: 2.6 keywords: format, flatfile, */flatfile, application/flatfile --- # Flat File Format > For the full documentation index, see: https://docs.mulesoft.com/llms.txt MIME type: `application/flatfile` ID: `flatfile` The Flat File format supports multiple types of fixed width records within a single message. The schema structure allows you to define how different record types are distinguished, and how the records are logically grouped. > [!NOTE] Flat File in DataWeave supports files of up to 15 MB, and the memory requirement is > roughly 40 to 1. For example, a 1-MB file requires up to 40 MB of memory to process, so it’s > important to consider this memory requirement in conjunction with your TPS needs for large flat > files. This is not an exact figure; the value might vary according to the complexity of the > mapping instructions. ## Example: Specify a Flat File Schema This example shows a DataWeave script that outputs data in the Flat File format. Notice that it uses the `schemaPath` and `structureIndent` writer properties. ```dataweave %dw 2.0 output application/flatfile schemaPath="src/main/resources/test-data/QBReqRsp.esl", structureIdent="QBResponse" --- payload ``` ## Configuration Properties DataWeave supports the following configuration properties for this format. ### Reader Properties This format accepts properties that provide instructions for reading input data.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`allowLenientWithBinaryNotEndElement`	`Boolean`	`false`	When the schema contains elements of type Binary or Packed, the `lenient` option does not allow short records, regardless of the last element’s format type. When you set this property to `true`, the validation applies only to cases in which the record ends with type Binary or Packed. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`enforceRequires`	`Boolean`	`false`	Produces an error when set to `true` if a required value is missing. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`missingValues`	`String`	`null`	Fill character used to represent missing values. To activate a non-default setting, set the `useMissCharAsDefaultForFill` property to `true`, and use one of the following values to `missingValues`: `none` (for the reader) or `NONE` (for the writer): Treats all data as values. `spaces` (for the reader) or `SPACES` (for the writer): Interprets a field consisting of only spaces as a missing value. Default for flat file and fixed-width formats. `zeroes` (for the reader) or `ZEROES` (for the writer): Interprets numeric fields consisting of only `0` characters and character fields consisting of only spaces as missing values. `nulls` (for the reader) or `NULLS` (for the writer): Interprets a field consisting only of `0` bytes as a missing value. Default for COBOL copybook schema. Valid values are `none` or `spaces` or `zeroes` or `nulls`.
`notTruncateDependingOnSubjectNotPresent`	`Boolean`	`false`	Fills the entire group when the DEPENDING ON subject is not present. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`recordParsing`	`String`	`'strict'`	Specifies the expected type of separation between lines or records: `strict`: Line break is expected at exact end of each record. `strict` is the default. `lenient`: Line break is used, but records can be shorter or longer than the schema specifies. Don’t use `lenient` if your payload lacks line breaks. The other options to `recordParsing` support records that lack line breaks. `noTerminator`: Records follow one another with no separation. This option is preferred for fixed-length records that lack a line break. `singleRecord`: The entire input is a single record. Note that schemas with type `Binary` or `Packed` don’t allow for line break detection, so setting `recordParsing` to `lenient` only allows long records to be handled, not short ones. These schemas also currently only work with certain single-byte character encodings (so not with UTF-8 or any multibyte format). Valid values are `strict` or `lenient` or `noTerminator` or `singleRecord`.
`retainEmptyStringFieldsOnParsing`	`Boolean`	`false`	Allow parsing behavior to keep missing string value fields with a default value in the output map Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`schemaPath` (Required)	`String`	`null`	Path to the schema definition. Specifies the location in your local disk of the schema file that parses your input.
`segmentIdent`	`String`	`null`	Segment identifier in the schema for fixed-width or COBOL copybook schemas. Required when parsing a single segment or record definition if the schema includes multiple segment definitions.
`structureIdent`	`String`	`null`	Structure identifier in the schema for flat file schemas. Required when parsing a structure definition if the schema includes multiple structure definitions.
`truncateDependingOn`	`Boolean`	`false`	For COBOL copybook, truncates DEPENDING ON values to the length used. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`useMissCharAsDefaultForFill`	`Boolean`	`false`	By default, the flat file reader and writer use spaces for missing characters and ignore the setting of the `missingValues` property. When you set this property to `true`, DataWeave honors the setting of the `missingValues property`. Introduced in DataWeave 2.3 (2.3.0-20210823) for the September 2021 release of Mule 4.3.0-20210823. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`zonedDecimalStrict`	`Boolean`	`false`	For COBOL copybook, uses the 'strict' ASCII form of sign encoding for zoned decimal values. Valid values are `true` or `false`.

### Writer Properties This format accepts properties that provide instructions for writing output data.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`bufferSize`	`Number`	`8192`	Size of the buffer writer, in bytes. The value must be greater than `8`.
`deferred`	`Boolean`	`false`	Generates the output as a data stream when set to `true`, and defers the script’s execution until the generated content is consumed. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`encoding`	`String`	`null`	The encoding to use for the output, such as UTF-8.
`enforceRequires`	`Boolean`	`false`	Produces an error when set to `true` if a required value is missing. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`missingValues`	`String`	`null`	Fill character used to represent missing values. To activate a non-default setting, set the `useMissCharAsDefaultForFill` property to `true`, and use one of the following values to `missingValues`: `none` (for the reader) or `NONE` (for the writer): Treats all data as values. `spaces` (for the reader) or `SPACES` (for the writer): Interprets a field consisting of only spaces as a missing value. Default for flat file and fixed-width formats. `zeroes` (for the reader) or `ZEROES` (for the writer): Interprets numeric fields consisting of only `0` characters and character fields consisting of only spaces as missing values. `nulls` (for the reader) or `NULLS` (for the writer): Interprets a field consisting only of `0` bytes as a missing value. Default for COBOL copybook schema. Valid values are `none` or `spaces` or `zeroes` or `nulls`.
`notTruncateDependingOnSubjectNotPresent`	`Boolean`	`false`	Fills the entire group when the DEPENDING ON subject is not present. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`recordTerminator`	`String`	`null`	Line break for a record separator. DataWeave uses this property as a separator only when there are multiple records. Values translate directly to character codes, and `none` leaves no termination on each record. Valid values are `lf` or `cr` or `crlf` or `none`.
`schemaPath` (Required)	`String`	`null`	Path to the schema definition. Specifies the location in your local disk of the schema file that parses your input.
`segmentIdent`	`String`	`null`	Segment identifier in the schema for fixed-width or COBOL copybook schemas. Required when parsing a single segment or record definition if the schema includes multiple segment definitions.
`structureIdent`	`String`	`null`	Structure identifier in the schema for flat file schemas. Required when parsing a structure definition if the schema includes multiple structure definitions.
`trimValues`	`Boolean`	`false`	Trim values that are longer than the width of a field. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`truncateDependingOn`	`Boolean`	`false`	For COBOL copybook, truncates DEPENDING ON values to the length used. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`useMissCharAsDefaultForFill`	`Boolean`	`false`	By default, the flat file reader and writer use spaces for missing characters and ignore the setting of the `missingValues` property. When you set this property to `true`, DataWeave honors the setting of the `missingValues property`. Introduced in DataWeave 2.3 (2.3.0-20210823) for the September 2021 release of Mule 4.3.0-20210823. Valid values are `true` or `false`.
`zonedDecimalStrict`	`Boolean`	`false`	For COBOL copybook, uses the 'strict' ASCII form of sign encoding for zoned decimal values. Valid values are `true` or `false`.

## Supported MIME Types This format supports the following MIME types.

MIME Type
`*/flatfile`