---
title: EdiElement
summary: API reference for EdiElement.
status: draft
owner: SAIF Doc Gen
last_reviewed: 2026-09-15
library: SAIF.Framework.Common.Files
reference_type: package
---

# EdiElement

`EdiElement` is the shared abstract base for `EdiSegment`, `EdiDataElement`, and `EdiCompositeDataElement`, carrying the ordinal position, raw text value, and element-kind classification common to every parsed EDI element so consumers can treat segments and data elements uniformly through `IEdiElement`.

## Purpose
- Holds the `Index` (ordinal position within its parent) and `Value` (raw text) shared by every EDI element kind.
- Declares the abstract `Type` property, forcing each concrete subclass to self-identify as `Segment`, `DataElement`, or `CompositeDataElement`, which callers use to distinguish element kinds without type-checking.

## Context
- Namespace: `SAIF.Common.Files.Edi`
- Assembly/package: `SAIF.Framework.Common.Files`
- Implements: `IEdiElement`

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Index | `public int Index { get; set; }` | The element's ordinal position within its parent (segment position within a file, or data-element position within a segment). |
| Value | `public string Value { get; set; }` | The raw text value of this element as parsed from, or to be serialized into, the EDI interchange. |
| Type | `public abstract ElementType Type { get; }` | Identifies which concrete element kind this instance is (`Segment`, `DataElement`, or `CompositeDataElement`); each subclass overrides this to return its fixed kind. |

## Sources
- Common\SAIF.Common.Files\Edi\EdiElement.cs