0. INTRODUCTION
1. SCOPE
   1. Functional definition
   2. Field of application
   3. Principles
2. REFERENCES
3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
4. MESSAGE DEFINITION
   1. Data segment clarification
   2. Data segment index (alphabetical sequence)
   3. Message structure
      1. Segment table

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.

The function of this message is:

1. 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.
2. to acknowledge to a message issuer the receipt of his message by the addressee's application.

The Application error and acknowledgement message may be used for both national and international trade. It is based on universal commercial practice and is not dependent on the type of business or industry.

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.

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

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

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

0010 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:

0020 BGM, Beginning of message

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

0030 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment to specify related date/time.

0040 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.

0050 CNT, Control total

A segment to provide message control totals.

0060 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.

0070 RFF, Reference

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

0080 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment to specify the date and time of the referenced document/message.

0090 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.

0100 NAD, Name and address

A segment to specify the identification of the message issuer and message receiver.

0110 CTA, Contact information

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

0120 COM, Communication contact

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

0130 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.

0140 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).

0150 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.

0160 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.

0170 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).

0180 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).

0190 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.