Crosswalk
Correspondence table between two formats, underpinning mapping and translation.
Definition
A crosswalk is a correspondence table that associates each element and each code value of a source format with its equivalent in a target format (e.g. an EDIFACT unit code to an X12 code). It documents the mapping and serves as a shared reference between the business team and the translator.
Origin
Term rooted in metadata and interoperability practice (NISO — National Information Standards Organization, which defines a « crosswalk » as the mapping of elements between schemas), carried into EDI practice for code and field correspondences.
Example in context
UN/ECE Rec 20 « PCE » (piece) → X12 unit « EA » (each): one row of a unit-code crosswalk.
Related terms
- Canonical Data Model — crosswalks align each format onto the pivot.