CALINF — EDIFACT Call for Information Message (D.21B)

The CALINF message is the formal information request sent to a trade partner: it identifies the subject, scope and urgency of the information requested (stock level, order status, account value, container position). It is a generic channel that complements dedicated query messages (INVRPT, IFTSTA…) when none fits. This page summarises the segment structure as published by UN/CEFACT for directory D.21B.

Purpose

The CALINF message is the formal information request sent to a trade partner: it identifies the subject, scope and urgency of the information requested (stock level, order status, account value, container position). It is a generic channel that complements dedicated query messages (INVRPT, IFTSTA…) when none fits.

This page focuses on the structure published by UN/CEFACT for directory D.21B. The segments listed, their status (M / C), position and repetition factor are extracted from the official file calinf_c.htm hosted on service.unece.org.

Segment structure

The CALINF D.21B message has 28 header entries, 0 detail entries and 0 summary entries (segments and groups combined). Groups are shown in bold and their members are indented by actual nesting depth.

Header

Detail

No segment in this section.

Summary

No segment in this section.

Changes vs D.96A

Top-level differences between D.96A and D.21B for the CALINF message (segments directly inside header / detail / summary, ignoring nested groups). The comparison is indicative: a given tag may have evolved inside nested groups without showing up in this synthesis.

Segments added vs D.96A

• MEA in the header section (status C, repeat ×9) — not present at the top of the corresponding D.96A section.
• EQN in the header section (status C, repeat ×1) — not present at the top of the corresponding D.96A section.
• COM in the header section (status C, repeat ×9) — not present at the top of the corresponding D.96A section.
• DIM in the header section (status C, repeat ×1) — not present at the top of the corresponding D.96A section.

Status changes (M ↔ C)

• DTM (header): status M in D.96A → C in D.21B.
• FTX (header): status C in D.96A → M in D.21B.
• RFF (header): status C in D.96A → M in D.21B.
• CTA (header): status C in D.96A → M in D.21B.

Max-repeat changes

• FTX (header): repeat ×9 in D.96A → ×1 in D.21B.
• RFF (header): repeat ×9 in D.96A → ×1 in D.21B.
• CTA (header): repeat ×9 in D.96A → ×1 in D.21B.
• LOC (header): repeat ×9 in D.96A → ×1 in D.21B.

Structural example

Minimal example of an CALINF D.21B message with mandatory segments only. The goal is to show the exact version declared in UNH (CALINF:D:21B:UN) — not to replicate a full business case (see the CALINF D.96A page for an annotated example).

UNB+UNOC:3+5410000000123:14+5410000000456:14+260514:1430+CTRL021001'
UNH+1+CALINF:D:21B:UN'
BGM+705+CALINF-2026-0731+9'
DTM+137:20260514:102'
FTX+AAI+++Request stock level for SKU 3520000001234 - DC PARIS NORTH'
RFF+ON:ORDER789'
NAD+MS+5410000000123::9'
NAD+MR+5410000000456::9'
LIN+1++3520000001234:EN'
UNT+9+1'
UNZ+1+CTRL021001'

Common errors

• Misaligned UNH tokens — The UNH+...+CALINF:D:21B:UN token must reflect exactly the directory in use — a mismatch between the UNH release and the release agreed with the partner is rejected by every strict validator.
• Wrong UNT segment count — The value after UNT+ must include UNH and UNT themselves. By far the most common sender-side error, regardless of the directory in use.
• Stale code lists — Between D.96A and D.21B, several code lists received new qualifiers (DTM status, RFF qualifier, NAD codes…). Reusing an older directory’s code tables triggers warnings or even rejections depending on the partner’s strict-conformance mode.

Related messages

Other versions of this message available on ediverse.io: CALINF D.96A, CALINF D.01B, CALINF D.10A, CALINF D.16B, CALINF D.24A, CALINF D.97A, CALINF D.99B, CALINF D.00B, CALINF D.02B, CALINF D.05A, CALINF D.08A, CALINF D.13B, CALINF D.18B, CALINF D.20B.

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