When working with Azure Logic Apps, one of the most common integration challenges is handling structured flat file formats, particularly in scenarios involving legacy systems, EDI, or batch processing. Many developers wonder if it’s possible to work with flat files in Logic Apps the same way they did in BizTalk Server.
The answer is yes — and it’s easier than you might think.
With the Azure Logic Apps Enterprise Integration Tools for Visual Studio 2019, you can create Flat File Schemas just like in BizTalk Server, and use them inside your Logic App workflows by connecting them through an Integration Account for Logic App Consumption, or by using the out-of-the-box capabilities of Logic App Standard.
📝 One-Minute Brief
You can create Flat File Schemas for Azure Logic Apps using the free Azure Logic Apps Enterprise Integration Tools for Visual Studio 2019. Originally designed for Logic App Consumption with Integration Accounts, this tool also works perfectly with Logic App Standard — no Integration Account required. Ideal for developers modernizing legacy integrations or replacing BizTalk Server flat file processing in the cloud.
What are the Enterprise Integration Tools?
These tools are a Visual Studio extension that provides a BizTalk Server familiar design-time experience for:
- Creating XML and flat file schemas
- Designing maps (XSLT 1.0) using a graphical interface
- Building and deploying Integration Projects for use in Logic Apps (Consumption or Standard tier)
Once installed, these tools give you access to schema generators, map designers, and the ability to compile integration artifacts (.xsd, .xslt) that can be uploaded to your Azure Integration Account.
Why Flat File Support Matters
Many enterprises still rely on non-XML formats, such as CSV, positional flat files, HL7, or EDI-style documents, which are not natively understood by modern APIs or SaaS connectors. These formats require a translation step before meaningful data can be extracted or routed.
Using the Enterprise Integration Tools, you can:
- Define schema delimiters and positional rules
- Parse flat files into XML for processing
- Encode Logic App output back into a flat file format
All this becomes possible by leveraging actions such as Flat File Decode or Flat File Encode in Logic Apps, which are configured to use schemas that you’ve uploaded to your Integration Account or inside the Schemas artifact folder in the Standard tier.
Pro Tip
Although the Azure Logic Apps Enterprise Integration Tools were built initially for Logic App Consumption and designed to work with Integration Accounts, here’s something many developers don’t realize:
You can still use this extension even without provisioning an Integration Account.
That’s right — this is a free Visual Studio extension, and you can fully leverage it to create schemas and maps for your Logic App Standard workflows. Once you generate the artifacts (like .xsd and .xslt files) in your integration project, you can copy them to your Logic App Standard project/solution and reference them directly inside your Logic App Standard workflows — no Integration Account required.
This flexibility makes it an excellent tool for both legacy integration modernization and new, cost-efficient cloud-native solutions using Logic App Standard.
How to Get Started
- Install Visual Studio 2019 (if you don’t already have it).
- Download and install the Azure Logic Apps Enterprise Integration Tools from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
- Create a new Integration Project.
- Use the schema generator to define flat file structures.
- Deploy the schemas and maps to your Azure Integration Account, or copy them in Logic App Standard.
- Reference them in your Logic App workflow actions.
If you come from a BizTalk background, this is a great way to transition your integration skillset into the cloud. And if you’re new to integration work, these tools help abstract away much of the complexity involved in working with legacy formats.
So, yes — you can build Flat File Schemas for Logic Apps. You just need the right tools.
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