> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.solutioo.de/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.solutioo.de/datanorm-item-import/datanorm_en_us/overview/supported-datanorm-versions.md).

# Supported DATANORM Versions

## Overview

<table><thead><tr><th width="200">Version</th><th width="150">Import</th><th width="150">Export</th><th>Note</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>DATANORM 4.0</strong></td><td>yes</td><td>yes</td><td>Article data is split across an A and a B record that belong together.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>DATANORM 5.0</strong></td><td>yes</td><td>yes</td><td>All article details sit in the A record. Recommended version.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Automatic detection

The version is determined from the **header record** (V record) as the file is read, so you never have to specify it.

The app recognises the version from the **shape** of the first line that starts with `V`:

<table><thead><tr><th width="200">Version</th><th>Detection</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>DATANORM 4</strong></td><td>The V record contains <strong>no</strong> semicolon. It is a fixed 128-character line.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>DATANORM 5</strong></td><td>The V record is semicolon-separated and starts with <code>V;050;</code>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
The **Default DATANORM Version** setting only applies to **export**. For import, the value in the file always wins.
{% endhint %}

## The header record (V record)

The first data line of a valid file must be a V record. If it is missing, the app treats the file as DATANORM 5 and warns that the result may be wrong for a V4 file.

### DATANORM 4 — fixed 128 characters, no semicolon

The V4 header is **not** a semicolon-separated line. Fields sit at fixed positions. That is how export writes the line, and how import reads the date and currency.

<table><thead><tr><th width="140">Position</th><th width="90">Length</th><th>Contents</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>1</td><td><code>V</code></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>Space</td></tr><tr><td>3–8</td><td>6</td><td>Creation date <code>DDMMYY</code></td></tr><tr><td>9–48</td><td>40</td><td>Info 1, usually supplier or file name</td></tr><tr><td>49–88</td><td>40</td><td>Info 2</td></tr><tr><td>89–123</td><td>35</td><td>Info 3 / reserved</td></tr><tr><td>124–125</td><td>2</td><td>Version number <code>04</code></td></tr><tr><td>126–128</td><td>3</td><td>Currency, for example <code>EUR</code></td></tr></tbody></table>

Exact header from the sample delivery (128 characters, ending in `04EUR`):

```
V 290126Wannentechnik                                                                                                      04EUR
```

A file with A records appends the article lines **after** this header. In DATANORM 4 the A and B record belong together; the article lines themselves are semicolon-separated:

```
V 290126Wannentechnik                                                                                                      04EUR
A;A;0020001000002;40;Raumsparwanne Nevada links 170x75x43 cm; pergamon   ;1;0;ST;67700;001;001;T1;
B;A;0020001000002;Nevada-l-pe;;;0;;;4250879415061;;Badewannen;;1;;;
```

This is the first line of the sample delivery (Wannentechnik catalogue).

{% hint style="warning" %}
If the V record contains a semicolon — for example because the line is built like a V5 header — the app detects **DATANORM 5**. A V4 header must not contain `;`.
{% endhint %}

### DATANORM 5 — semicolon-separated

For comparison, the V5 header from the same demo delivery:

```
V;050;;20260724;EUR;Solutioo Demo Lieferant;;;;;
```

Fields: record type, version number `050`, data mark, date `YYYYMMDD`, currency, description.

## The key difference

In DATANORM 4 an article is described across two lines: the A record carries description, price and unit, the B record carries additional details such as EAN, match code, catalogue page or copper weight. Both belong to the same article number.

The app merges the A and B record into **one** staging record. A file with 4,637 articles therefore produces 4,637 staging rows, not 9,274.

In DATANORM 5 those details are already in the A record; there is no B record.

The full comparison is under Differences Between DATANORM 4 and 5.

## Files and naming conventions

A DATANORM delivery usually consists of several files with meaningful extensions:

<table><thead><tr><th width="260">File</th><th>Contents</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>DATANORM.001</code>, <code>DATANORM.002</code> …</td><td>Article data. Numbered sequentially for large catalogues.</td></tr><tr><td><code>DATPREIS.001</code></td><td>Price change only, for articles already delivered.</td></tr><tr><td><code>*.RAB</code></td><td>Discount groups.</td></tr><tr><td><code>*.WRG</code></td><td>Product groups.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="warning" %}
Only read a price change file **after** the matching articles have been imported. Otherwise the price records have no article to attach to.
{% endhint %}

## Character set

DATANORM files are traditionally DOS-encoded (code page 437/850). The app reads them accordingly so that umlauts in article descriptions arrive intact. Do not open and save a file as UTF-8 in a text editor before importing it – that loses the umlauts.


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