UNTDID
UN Trade Data Interchange Directory. The official UN/CEFACT directory that gathers EDIFACT messages, segments, elements, composites and code lists.
Definition
The UNTDID is the normative documentation tree that organises all of EDIFACT semantics. For a given directive (e.g. D.96A), it publishes:
- EDMD — Message types directory: list of messages (ORDERS, INVOIC, DESADV, CONTRL, IFTMIN, etc.).
- EDSD — Standard segments directory: list of segments (BGM, NAD, LIN, QTY, MOA, etc.).
- EDED — Standard data elements directory: simple elements (numbered 1000 to 9999) and their format (an..35, n3, an..70…).
- EDCD — Standard composite data elements directory: composites (C001 to C999).
- UNCL — United Nations Code Lists: code lists (UNCL 1001 Document Name Code, UNCL 3035 Party Qualifier, UNCL 4451 Text Subject Qualifier, etc.).
- TRSD — Trade Segments Directory: segment specifications for transport.
- UNCD — Code list directory (alternative name for UNCL).
- UNSL — Standard separators list.
Each directive carries an identifier D.YYA (semestral
publication A, March) or D.YYB (semestral publication B,
September). By convention, D.96A is the March 1996 directive.
Origin
The UNTDID derives from the TDED (Trade Data Element Directory) published by UN/ECE Working Party 4 from the early 1980s. With the publication of EDIFACT version 1 in 1987, the TDED became the UNTDID, structured to accommodate messages, segments, elements and codes in separate files. It is now maintained by UN/CEFACT and publicly and freely available on the UNECE portal — a historically remarkable fact: UN/EDIFACT is one of the very few EDI standards whose full specification is in the public domain with no fee or licence.
Example in context
For an INVOIC D.96A UN EAN008 message, the UNTDID
clarifies: EDMD/trmd/trmdinvoic.htm gives the segment table and the
HEADER/DETAIL/SUMMARY grammar; EDSD/trsd/trsdbgm.htm defines BGM;
EDED/tred/tred1001.htm describes element 1001 (Document name code);
UNCL/uncl1001.htm lists the valid codes (380 Commercial Invoice, 381
Credit Note, 384 Corrected Invoice, etc.); UNCL/uncl4451.htm lists FTX
text subjects.