| Character set |
A finite set of different
characters that is considered complete for a given purpose. |
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| Code |
(a) A character string used as an
abbreviated means of recording or identifying information. |
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(b) To represent or identify
information using a specific symbolic form that can be recognised by a computer. |
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|
| Component data element |
A simple data element
used within a composite data element. |
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|
| Component data element
separator |
A service character
used to separate component data elements in a composite
data element. |
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|
| Composite data element |
A data element containing two or
more functionally related component data elements. |
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|
| Conditional |
A statement in a segment or
message directory of a condition for the use of a segment, a data element, a composite
data element, or a component data element. |
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|
| Data |
A representation of facts,
concepts or instructions in a formalised manner suitable for communication, interpretation
or processing by human beings or by automatic means. |
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|
| Data element |
A unit of data for which the
identification, description and value representation have been specified. |
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|
| Data element name |
One or more words in a natural
language identifying a data element concept. |
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|
| Data element separator |
A service character
used to separate data
elements in a segment. |
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|
| Data element tag |
A unique identifier for a data
element in a data element directory. |
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|
| Data element value |
The specific entry of an
identified data element represented as specified in a data element directory. |
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|
| Data element representation |
The format (e.g. numeric,
alphabetic, variable length etc.) of a data item. |
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|
| EDIFACT |
Electronic Data Interchange for
Administration, Commerce and Transport. |
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|
| Explicit representation |
The technique used to give an
absolute identification of the location of a data segment within a message. |
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|
| Functional group |
One or more messages of the same
type headed by a functional group header service segment and ending with a functional
group trailer service segment. |
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|
| Functional group header |
The service segment heading and
identifying the functional group. |
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|
| Functional group trailer |
The service segment ending a
functional group. |
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| Group of segments |
Identified, usually repeatable,
grouping of segments. |
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|
| Header section |
The portion of the message which
precedes the actual body and trailer of the business transaction, and which contains
information which relates to the entire message. |
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|
| Identifier |
A character or group of
characters used to identify or name an item of data and possibly to indicate certain
properties of that data. |
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|
| Implementation
guideline (EANCOM®) |
A
UNSM sub-set provided with detailed usage notes, clear guidance what to do
and when to do, strict rules for the usage of GS1 numbering standards,
relevant codes only, more precise definitions of data and codes and
business situation examples. |
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| Interchange |
Communication between partners in
the form of a structured set of messages and service segments starting with an interchange
control header and ending with an interchange control trailer. |
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|
| Interchange agreement |
Document, usually in the form of
a user manual, which describes, e.g., level of syntax, messages, legal and security
requirements etc. |
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|
| Level |
Relative hierarchical position of
a data segment within a message. |
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|
| Mandatory |
A statement in a segment or
message directory which specifies that a segment, a data element, a composite data element
or a component data element must be used. |
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|
| Message |
A set of segments in the order
specified in a message directory starting with the message header and ending with the
message trailer. |
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|
| Message diagram |
A graphic representation of the
sequence of segments within a message. |
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|
| Message header |
The service segment starting and
uniquely identifying a message. |
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|
| Message trailer |
The service segment ending a
message. |
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| Message type |
An identified and structured set
of data elements covering the requirements for a specified type of transaction, e.g.
invoice. |
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|
| Nested segment |
A segment which directly relates
to another segment in an identified and structured group of segments covering the
requirements for a specific message type. |
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|
| Omission |
Exclusion in an actual message of
one or more units of data which are defined as conditional in a message type
specification. |
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|
| Qualified data element |
A data element whose precise
meaning is conveyed by an associated qualifier. |
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| Qualifier |
A data element whose value shall
be expressed as a code that gives specific meaning to the function of another data element
or a segment. |
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|
| Release character |
A
service character
used to restore to
its original meaning any character used as a service
separator. |
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|
| Section control segment |
A service segment used to
separate header, detail and summary sections of a message where necessary to avoid
ambiguities in the message segment content. |
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|
| Segment |
A pre-defined and identified set
of functionally related data elements values which are identified by their sequential
positions within the set. A segment starts with a segment tag and ends with a segment
terminator. It can be a service segment or a user data segment. |
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|
| Segment code |
A code which uniquely identifies
each segment as specified in a segment directory. |
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|
| Segment directory |
A listing of identified, named,
described and specified segments. |
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|
| Segment name |
One or more words in a natural
language identifying a data segment concept. |
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|
| Segment
number (EANCOM®) |
Numeric
value used to show the position of a segment in an EANCOM®
message, starting at 1 for the first segment. |
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|
| Segment tag |
A composite data element in which
the first component data element contains a code which uniquely identifies a segment as
specified in the relevant segment directory. Additional component data elements can be
conditionally used to indicate the hierarchical level and nesting relation in a message
and the incidence of repetition of the segment. |
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|
| Segment terminator |
A service
character indicating the
end of a segment. |
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|
| Service
character |
A
character reserved for syntactical use. |
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|
| Service data element |
A data element used in service
segments. |
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|
| Service segment |
A segment required to service the
interchange of user data. |
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|
| Service string advice |
A character string at the
beginning of an interchange defining syntactically delimiting characters and indicators
used in the interchange. |
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|
| Simple data element |
A data element containing a
single data element value. |
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|
| Status |
Indication whether a segment
group, segment, composite data element or data element item is mandatory (M) or
conditional (C) in the application concerned. |
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|
| Summary section |
The portion of the message which
follows the body of the message and which contains summary information relating to the
entire message. |
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|
| Syntax rules |
Rules governing the structure of
an interchange and its functional groups, messages, segments and data elements. |
| Tag |
A unique identifier for a segment
or data element. |
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|
| Trading partners |
The sending and/or receiving
parties involved in exchanging electronic business messages. |
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|
| UN/EDIFACT |
United
Nations/Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce
and Transport. |
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|
| UNSM |
United Nations Standard Message,
an EDIFACT message type approved for international use. A UNSM is a message which: |
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|
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I. has been registered, published
and which is maintained by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; |
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II. has the values contained in
the Controlling Agency, Message Type, Message Version Number and Message Release Number
fields (the requirements for the use of which are specified in ISO 9735), allocated and
controlled by the UN/ECE; |
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III. always has the code value
"UN" in the Controlling Agency field. |
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|
| UNSM Sub-set |
A sub-set of a UNSM is a message
which is directly derived from an approved UNSM, has the same function as the UNSM from
which it is derived, and which: |
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I. contains all of the groups and
segments defined as having a mandatory status within the message, and the mandatory data
elements within them. There shall be no change to the status, order or content of the
groups, segments and composite data elements and data elements contained within the
segments. (It should be noted, however, that although many UNSMs contain Conditional
Groups of segments which may contain one or more mandatory segments, providing the
complete conditional group is omitted from the sub-set, this does not break the rule
regarding the inclusion of mandatory segments); |
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II. does not change the status,
order or content of the Segments, composite data elements and data elements in the
conditional segments chosen for use from the UNSM. |
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III. does not add any segments,
composite data elements or data elements to the message; |
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IV. contains the identical values
specified for use in the Message Type, Controlling Agency, Message Version Number and
Message Release Number fields, as are specified for the UNSM from which the sub-set is
derived. |
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|
| User data segment |
A segment containing application
data. |
