cspital / epicserializer

Epic Chronicles Serializer

EpicSerializer

Epic Chronicles Format Serializer

https://www.nuget.org/packages/EpicSerializer

Epic is a very popular Electronic Medical Record system, with a proprietary format for bulk importing data through their Chronicles tool. This library makes it easy to serialize arbitrary types into the Chronicles format, which resembles an OrderedMap<int, string>. Since Epic configurations can vary so widely among different installations, this library doesn't make any assumptions about how any particular instance is configured.

The library is designed to be scalable, it only performs introspection on your serializable types once, on it's first encounter with that type. During this encounter it creates an access plan that describes how to pull data out of the objects of this type. These plans are stored in a static thread-safe container, so all instances of the Serializer benefit.

Chronicles Format Example:
1,12345
2,Biff Jutsu
45,biffj
50,1
2301,ARNP
2302,WA
2303,ABC123456
2301,RN
2302,WA
2303,DEF789012
1,67890
2,Some Other Person
45,otherp
50,1
...

Code

Simple single object example.

[EpicSerializable(MasterFile.EMP)]
class EpicUser
{
    [EpicRecord(Field: 1)]
    public int EpicID { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 2)]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 45)]
    public string Username { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 50)]
    public bool Active { get; set; }
}

var user = new EpicUser
{
    EpicID = 12345,
    Name = "Biff Jutsu",
    Username = "biffj",
    Active = true
};

var serial = new EpicSerializer<EpicUser>();
string serializedResult = serial.Serialize(user);
Console.WriteLine(serializedResult);

// Console Output
1,12345
2,Biff Jutsu
45,biffj
50,1

---

Single object with simple repeated section.

[EpicSerializable(MasterFile.EMP)]
class EpicUser
{
    [EpicRecord(Field: 1)]
    public int EpicID { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 2)]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 45)]
    public string Username { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 50)]
    public bool Active { get; set; }

    [EpicRepeat(Field: 100)]
    public List<string> Locations { get; set; }
}

var user = new EpicUser
{
    EpicID = 12345,
    Name = "Biff Jutsu",
    Username = "biffj",
    Active = true,
    Locations = new List<string>
    {
        "Hospital",
        "Burn Ward"
    }
};

var serial = new EpicSerializer<EpicUser>();
string serializedResult = serial.Serialize(user);
Console.WriteLine(serializedResult);

// Console Output
1,12345
2,Biff Jutsu
45,biffj
50,1
100,Hospital
100,Burn Ward

---

Single object with complex repeated section.

[EpicSerializable(MasterFile.EMP)]
class EpicUser
{
    [EpicRecord(Field: 1)]
    public int EpicID { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 2)]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 45)]
    public string Username { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 50)]
    public bool Active { get; set; }

    [EpicRepeat(Field: 100)]
    public List<string> Locations { get; set; }

    [EpicRepeat(Field: 2301)]
    public List<License> Licenses { get; set; }
}

[EpicSerializable(MasterFile.EMP)]
class License
{
    [EpicRecord(Field: 2301)]
    public string Type { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 2302)]
    public string State { get; set; }

    [EpicRecord(Field: 2303)]
    public string Value { get; set; }
}

var user = new EpicUser
{
    EpicID = 12345,
    Name = "Biff Jutsu",
    Username = "biffj",
    Active = true,
    Locations = new List<string>
    {
        "Hospital",
        "Burn Ward"
    },
    Licenses = new List<License>
    {
        new License
        {
            Type = "ARNP",
            State = "WA",
            Value = "ABC123456"
        },
        new License
        {
            Type = "RN",
            State = "WA",
            Value = "DEF789012"
        }
    }
};

var serial = new EpicSerializer<EpicUser>();
string serializedResult = serial.Serialize(user);
Console.WriteLine(serializedResult);

// Console Output
1,12345
2,Biff Jutsu
45,biffj
50,1
100,Hospital
100,Burn Ward
2301,ARNP
2302,WA
2303,ABC123456
2301,RN
2302,WA
2303,DEF789012

See tests for more detailed examples.

epicserializer's Issues

Publish 1.0.0.0 to nuget

Remove type list duplication

Move Attribute type list checks to use TypeMap keys.

The Attributes could just return the keys of the TypeMap dictionaries, just looking to remove this duplication.

EpicSerializerImpl.Convert default case should continue

Although it works right now, due to the last String.IsNullOrWhitespace check, we can short-circuit that loop and continue if the tagged member is on anything other than a field or property.

            switch (ma.MemberType)
            {
                case MemberTypes.Field:
                    o = SerialType.GetField(ma.Name).GetValue(record);
                    break;
                case MemberTypes.Property:
                    o = SerialType.GetProperty(ma.Name).GetValue(record);
                    break;
                default:
                    break; // continue;
            }

Add deserialization functionality

Adding deserialization functionality would let this library provide full bi-directional marshalling capabilities.

Those using InterConnect or FHIR would be able to use this library in middleware for real-time services.

Convert to C# 7

Use new language features like pattern matching and local functions to clean up conversions.

Finish documenting code.

See MemberAccess specifically.

Identify and migrate from if null to Elvis where possible

Lambdize Converters functions where possible.

Support inheritance in tagged models

Switch Eager vs Lazy method signatures

Eager should be default, lazy should be specified. Re: JSON.NET API surface.

Recreate solution without ESTestHarness program reference.

refactor memberaccess constructor

Validation methods

Add tests on inherited models

Confirm that inherited models will serialize correctly.

Retarget library to .NET standard 2.0

Should be usable everywhere, there are no external dependencies to stop this from being doable.