Services Section

Any booking or PCM message that is going to output the Booking/PCM services must have a <<SERVICES>> section. The Services section defines where the Booking/PCM services begin and end. The format is <<SERVICES:START>> and <<SERVICES:END>>.

Apart from indicating where the services start and end, they also indicate where the Message Header finishes (<<SERVICES:START>>) and where the Message Tail starts (<<SERVICES:END>>).

Within the SERVICES section, the Line Format Type Codes are used to define the layout of each line type. Line Format Type Codes are attached to products and this allows different product types to have different line formats in messages. Message Line Format Types are discussed in the NX Product User Manual under Set Message Defaults.

For example, an accommodation service needs detail output which is different to a sightseeing service - e.g., Room Types, In/Out dates etc, so the Line Type Format Codes attached to products signal to the messaging system which format to use for each service.
It is essential that there be a <<DEFAULT>> line type. This is used as the default line format to use for any service that a) does not have a service format code attached and b) if simple formatting is all that is required for all services.

Message design and planning is an important part of messaging setup. For more complex documentation where service type information and layout requirements may differ, we suggest that a 'services' section line type within the messaging template is configured to include a 'section' per service type.

There can be other sections inside the services section to output specific detail relating to services - e.g., allocations taken, cancellation penalties etc.

Any product or pricing data relating to a service is able to be output in the services section.

The Services section can be used more than once in a message template. This makes it possible to (e.g.) output the booking/PCM services in a chronological list and then following that, have a second services section where (e.g.) notes and graphics from the product database can be output highlighting parts of the itinerary.