EDI can and is difficult for the uninitiated to read. It is a "digital" representation of a human readable document, like a purchase order for example. By reading this short introduction into the world of EDI you will understand how it is structured, why it is necessary, what a standard is and what the individual pieces of data mean and how they interrelate. Welcome to EDI-101
Had to take over our EDI at work when the guy who was doing it left for another job. This, combined with a few other resources helped me get everything setup for our new customers. I recommend reading this to help.you understand.a little better what you need to look for as you progress through the learning process.