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

# IParser<T>

`IParser<T>` is the minimal shared parsing contract used by both independent subsystems in this library: the flat-file record parsing path and the EDI segment/element parsers. `EdiSegmentParser`, `EdiDataElementParser`, and `EdiCompositeDataElementParser` (in the `SAIF.Common.Files.Edi.Core.Parsers` namespace) all implement it, making it the only coupling point between the flat-file and EDI subsystems in this library*.

## Purpose
- Defines a single `Parse` operation that converts a raw string into a list of typed results, allowing callers to depend on a common abstraction regardless of whether the underlying implementation parses a delimited/fixed-width line or an EDI segment/element.

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

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Parse | `List<T> Parse(string stringToParse)` | Parses the supplied raw string and returns the resulting collection of `T` instances; the parsing rules (delimiter, segment structure, etc.) are defined entirely by the implementing type. |

## Behavioral notes
- The generic constraint `where T : class` restricts implementations to reference-type results.
- No implementation of this interface lives in the flat-file (`SAIF.Common.Files.Core`) namespace directly; it is implemented only by the EDI segment/element parser types*.

> **Note:** Statements marked with `*` were inferred from code structure, naming
> conventions, or contextual evidence where direct confirmation was not available
> in source artifacts.

## Sources
- Common\SAIF.Common.Files\IParser.cs