0.    INTRODUCTION

       This specification provides the definition of the Application
       error and acknowledgement message (APERAK) to be used in
       Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between trading partners
       involved in administration, commerce and transport.

1.    SCOPE

1.1   Functional Definition

       The function of this message is: 
       a)  to inform a message issuer that his message has been
       received by the addressee's application and has been rejected
       due to errors encountered during its processing in the
       application.
       b)  to acknowledge to a message issuer the receipt of his
       message by the addressee's application.

1.2   Field of Application

       The Application error and acknowledgement message may be used
       for both national and international applications. It is based
       on universal practice related to administration, commerce and
       transport, and is not dependent on the type of business or
       industry.

1.3   Principles

       A message being first controlled at system level (CONTRL) to
       detect syntax errors and to acknowledge its receipt is then
       transmitted to the application process to be processed.
        
       If an error is detected at the application level, which
       prevents its complete processing, an APERAK message is sent to
       the original message issuer giving details of the error(s)
       encountered.
       If no error has been detected and when an acknowledgement is
       necessary (when no dedicated answer to the original message
       exists) an APERAK message is sent precising the reasons of
       acknowledgement.
       In case of application error, the APERAK message will need
       manual processing e.g. when the underlying reason is a
       programming error.
       
       In case of acknowledgement the APERAK message may be
       automatically or manually processed at recipient's discretion.

2.    REFERENCES

       See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction,
       Section 1.

3.    TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

3.1   Standard terms and definitions

       See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction,
       Section 2.

4.    MESSAGE DEFINITION

4.1   Data Segment Clarification

       This section should be read in conjunction with the Segment
       Table which indicate mandatory, conditional and repeating
       requirements.

   UNH, Message header
       A service segment starting and uniquely identifying a message.
       The message type code for the Application error and
       acknowledgement message is APERAK.
       
       Note: Application error and acknowledgement messages conforming
       to this document must contain the following data in segment
       UNH, composite S009:

       Data element  0065 APERAK
                     0052 D
                     0054 97B
                     0051 UN

   BGM, Beginning of message
       A segment to indicate the type and function of the message and
       to transmit the identifying number.

   DTM, Date/time/period
       A segment to specify related date/time.

   FTX, Free text
       A segment to specify free form or processable supplementary
       information related to the whole message. In
       computer-to-computer exchanges free form text will normally
       require the receiver to process this segment manually.

   CNT, Control total
       A segment to provide message control totals.


   Segment group 1: RFF-DTM
       A group of segments to specify the document/message to which
       the current message relates, and related date and time.

      RFF, Reference
          A segment to indicate the reference number of the
          document/message.

      DTM, Date/time/period
          A segment to specify the date and time of the referenced
          document/message.


   Segment group 2: NAD-CTA-COM
       A group of segments to specify the identifications of message
       sender and message receiver with their contacts and
       communication channels.

      NAD, Name and address
          A segment to specify the identification of the message
          issuer and message receiver.

      CTA, Contact information
          A segment to specify a person or department inside the
          party's organization, to which communication should be
          directed.

      COM, Communication contact
          A segment to indicate communication channel type and number
          inside the party's organization, to which communication
          should be directed.


   Segment group 3: ERC-FTX-SG4
       A group of segments to identify the application error(s) within
       a specified received message and to give specific details
       related to the error type or to precise the type of
       acknowledgement.

      ERC, Application error information
          A segment identifying the type of application error or
          acknowledgement within the referenced message. 
          In case of an error, the error code may specify the error in
          detail (e.g. a measurement relating to a piece of equipment
          is wrong) or as a rough indication (e.g. a measurement is
          wrong).

      FTX, Free text
          A segment to provide explanation and/or supplementary
          information related to the specified application error or
          acknowledgement.
          For example, the explanation may provide exact details
          relating to a generic error code.


      Segment group 4: RFF-FTX
          A group of segments to specify the functional entity
          reference (e.g. goods item level, equipment level) relating
          to the specified error; further details can be added to
          identify the error more precisely.

         RFF, Reference
             A segment to provide a reference relating to the
             acknowledgement type or the specified error (e.g.
             functional entity reference such as equipment level).

         FTX, Free text
             A segment to provide additional details relating to the
             reference, e.g. the content of the wrong data (and its
             exact place in the message).

   UNT, Message trailer
       A service segment ending a message, giving the total number of
       segments in the message and the control reference number of the
       message.

4.2   Data segment index (Alphabetical sequence by tag)

          BGM Beginning of message
          CNT Control total
          COM Communication contact
          CTA Contact information
          DTM Date/time/period
          ERC Application error information
          FTX Free text
          NAD Name and address
          RFF Reference
          UNH Message header
          UNT Message trailer

Contents of APERAK