Electronic Data Interchange
The Group Header (UN/EDIFACT)

The Group Header is the starting control segment of the group envelope.  The group header contains:

• the sender and receiver information,
• date and time group was prepared, and
• standard version of group structure and underlying messages or packages.

This topic covers:

• Group Header in a Document
• Programmatically Reading the Group Header
• Programmatically Generating the Group Header

Group Header in a Document

In the document, the group header is identified with the first letters "UNG" followed by the element separator.

The group header data stream fit into the implementation guideline defined for the group header as follows:

REF		ELE		NAME		REQ		TYPE	MIN/MAX	VALUE	COMMENT
01		0038		Message Group Identification		C		AN	1/6	ID	Identifier that identifies the messages or packages enveloped by the group into some particular type.
02		S006		Application Sender Identification		C					Composite element identifying the sender of the group.
	01		0040		Application Sender Identification		M	AN	1/35	APPSENDER	This value is the identity of the sender.  Its meaning is qualified by the associated component element 0007.
	02		0007		Partner Identification Code Qualifier		C	AN	1/4	ZZZ	This element qualifies element 0040.  The value "ZZZ" indicates that the sender identification at 0040 is mutually defined which means it only has meaning to the trading partner.
03		S007		Application Recipient Identification		C					Composite element identifying the receiver of the group.
	01		0004		Application Recipient Identification		M	AN	1/35	APPRECEIVER	This value is the identity of the recipient.  Its meaning is qualified by the associated component element 0007.
	02		0007		Partner Identification Code Qualifier		C	AN	1/4	ZZZ	This element qualifies element 0004.  The value "ZZZ" indicates that the sender identification at 0004 is mutually defined which means it only has meaning to the trading partner.
04		S004		Date and Time of Preparation		C					Composite element indicating the date and time the group was prepared.
	01		0017		Date		M	N	8/8	20090419	The date the group was prepared.
	02		0019		Time		M	N	4/4	1230	The time the group was prepared.
05		0048		Group Reference Reference		C		AN	1/14	1	Unique group reference number assigned to the group.  This number is unique to the group within the interchange.
06		0051		Controlling Agency		C		AN	1/3	UN	Controlling Agency (UN/CEFACT)
07		S008		Message Version		C					Composite element indicating the version of the message to use.
	01		0052		Message Version Number		M	AN	1/3	D	The major of the message.
	02		0054		Message Release Number		M	AN	1/3	08A	The release of the message.
	03		0057		Association Assigned Code		C	AN	1/6
08		0058		Application Password		C		AN	1/14

Programmatically Reading the Group Header

The following steps demonstrates how to read the group header.

• Create an instance of ediDocument .

  Dim oEdiDoc As Fredi.ediDocument

  Set oEdiDoc = New Fredi.ediDocument
  

• Load the schema.

  Dim oSchemas As Fredi.ediSchemas
  Dim oSchema As Fredi.ediSchema
  
  ' Disable standard reference library.
  Set oSchemas = oEdiDoc.GetSchemas
  oSchemas.EnableStandardReference = False
  
  Set oSchema = oEdiDoc.LoadSchema(App.Path & "\EDIFACT_INVOIC.SEF", Schema_Standard_Exchange_Format)

• Load the document.

  ' Load EDI document normally.
  oEdiDoc.LoadEdi App.Path & "\SampleEdifactDoc.EDI"

• Get the first interchange containing the group.

  Dim oInterchange As Fredi.ediInterchange
  
  ' Get first interchange.
  Set oInterchange = oEdiDoc.FirstInterchange

• Get the first group in the interchange.

  Dim oGroup As Fredi.ediInterchange
  
  ' Get first group.
  Set oGroup = oInterchange.FirstGroup
  
  

• Get the group header and then read the elements.

  ' Get group header.
  Dim oHeader As Fredi.ediDataSegment
  Dim oElements As Fredi.ediDataElements
  Dim oElement As Fredi.ediDataElement
  Dim sResult As String
  Dim i As Integer
  
  Set oHeader = oGroup.GetDataSegmentHeader
  
  ' Get elements collection.
  Set oElements = oHeader.DataElements
  
  sResult = ""
  
  For Each oElement In oElements
  

  Dim oSubElements As Fredi.ediDataElements
  Dim oSubElement As Fredi.ediDataElement
  
  Set oSubElements = oElement.DataElements
  
  If oSubElements.Count > 0 Then

  ' Read component elements.
  sResult = sResult & vbTab & oElement.ID & vbCrLf
  
  For Each oSubElement In oSubElements

  sResult = sResult & vbTab & vbTab & oSubElement.ID & " = " & oSubElement.Value & vbCrLf
  
  

  Next
  
  

  Else

  sResult = sResult & vbTab & oElement.ID & " = " & oElement.Value & vbCrLf
  
  

  End If
  

  Next
  

Programmatically Generating the Group Header

The following steps demonstrates how to generate the group header.

• Create an instance of ediDocument.

  Dim oEdiDoc As Fredi.ediDocument

  Set oEdiDoc = New Fredi.ediDocument
  

• Load the schema.

  Dim oSchemas As Fredi.ediSchemas
  Dim oSchema As Fredi.ediSchema
  
  ' Disable standard reference library.
  Set oSchemas = oEdiDoc.GetSchemas
  oSchemas.EnableStandardReference = False
  
  Set oSchema = oEdiDoc.LoadSchema(App.Path & "\EDIFACT_INVOIC.SEF", Schema_Standard_Exchange_Format)

• Specify the terminators.

  ' Specify the terminators to use on the document.
  oEdiDoc.SegmentTerminator = "'" & vbCrLf
  oEdiDoc.ElementTerminator = "+"
  oEdiDoc.CompositeTerminator = ":"
  oEdiDoc.ReleaseIndicator = "?"
  

• Create the interchange.  The CreateInterchange method creates the interchange entity including the group header and trailer control segment.

  Dim oInterchange As Fredi.ediInterchange
  
  ' Create the Group envelope.
  Set oInterchange = oEdiDoc.CreateInterchange("UN", "D08A")

• Set the values in the interchange header.

  Dim oHeader As Fredi.ediDataSegment
  
  ' Get the group header.
  Set oHeader = oInterchange.GetDataSegmentHeader
  
  ' Set the values of the elements.
  oHeader.DataElementValue(1, 1) = "UNOB"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(1, 2) = "4"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(2, 1) = "123"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(2, 2) = "ZZ"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(3, 1) = "00123"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(3, 2) = "01"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(3, 3) = "ABC123"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(4, 1) = "020331"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(4, 2) = "1230"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(5) = "1"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(7) = "INVOIC"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(11) = "1"< BR >
  

• Create the group in the interchange.  The CreateGroup method creates the group entity including the group header and trailer control segment.

  Dim oGroup As Fredi.ediGroup
  
  ' Create the Group envelope.
  Set oGroup = oInterchange.CreateGroup("D08A")

• Set the values in the group header.

  Dim oHeader As Fredi.ediDataSegment
  
  ' Get the group header.
  Set oHeader = oGroup.GetDataSegmentHeader
  
  ' Set the values of the elements.
  oHeader.DataElementValue(1) = "ID"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(2, 1) = "APPSENDER"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(2, 2) = "ZZZ"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(3, 1) = "APPRECEIVER"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(3, 2) = "ZZZ"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(4, 1) = "20090419"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(4, 2) = "1230"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(5) = "1"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(6) = "UN"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(7, 1) = "D"
  oHeader.DataElementValue(7, 2) = "08A"