CALINF — EDIFACT Call for Information Message (D.96A)
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.96A.
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.96A. The segments listed, their status (M / C), position and repetition factor are extracted from the official file calinf_s.htm hosted on service.unece.org.
Segment structure
The CALINF D.96A message has 16 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
| Pos. | Tag | Name | S | Rep. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0010 | UNH | Message header | M | 1 |
0020 | BGM | Beginning of message | M | 1 |
0030 | RFF | Reference | C | ×9 |
0040 | SG1 | Group (×9) | M | ×9 |
0050 | NAD | Name and address | M | 1 |
0060 | CTA | Contact information | C | ×9 |
0070 | SG2 | Group (×1) | M | 1 |
0080 | TDT | Details of transport | M | 1 |
0090 | RFF | Reference | C | ×9 |
0100 | LOC | Place/location identification | M | ×9 |
0110 | DTM | Date/time/period | M | ×9 |
0120 | FTX | Free text | C | ×9 |
0130 | SG3 | Group (×9) | C | ×9 |
0140 | QTY | Quantity | M | 1 |
0150 | FTX | Free text | C | 1 |
0160 | UNT | Message trailer | M | 1 |
Detail
No segment in this section.
Summary
No segment in this section.
Changes vs D.96A
This page documents directory D.96A itself: it serves as the reference for every other version of the message. The synthesis below describes the structural changes that later directories will introduce relative to it.
No top-level differences detected between D.96A and D.96A for this message. Differences are then limited to nested groups and code lists.
Structural example
Minimal example of an CALINF D.96A message with mandatory segments only. The goal is to show the exact version declared in UNH (CALINF:D:96A:UN) — not to replicate a full business case.
UNB+UNOC:3+5410000000123:14+5410000000456:14+260514:1430+CTRL096001'
UNH+1+CALINF:D:96A: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+CTRL096001'Common errors
- Misaligned UNH tokens — The
UNH+...+CALINF:D:96A:UNtoken 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.96A, 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.01B, CALINF D.10A, CALINF D.16B, CALINF D.21B, 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.