UN layout formatting specification for UBL Order instances

Author: G. Ken Holman
Date: $Date: 2003/02/10 21:28:52 $(UTC)

Copyright © 2003 OASIS

Table of contents

1: Purchase order formatting specification

This formatting specification describes a rendering of the UBL Order document model according to the United Nations Layout Key for Trade Documents guidelines for application for the 220 Order form:

• 220 Order: Document by means of which a buyer initiates a transaction with a seller involving the supply of goods as specified, according to conditions set out in an offer, or otherwise known to the buyer.

For a list of all formatting specifications and an overview of the documentation conventions, please visit the formatting specification home page.

1.1: Status

This specification has no formal status at this time. It should not be considered a reference interpretation of UBL documents. Feedback is sought from users of stylesheets that implement this formatting specification regarding suggestions for change for consideration by the OASIS UBL committees for incorporation into these formatting specifications.

Presentational semantics may never be formalized or normative in the UBL project due to differing international requirements and conventions for the presentation of information found in business documents.  This document contains only examples from a few of what will probably be many available UBL stylesheet libraries.

1.2: Example renderings and implementations

Example renderings:

• PDF printable format (A4 page size)

  • UN220order.UN220OrderInstance1.pdf

• PDF printable format (US letter page size)

  • UN220order.UN220OrderInstance1-us.pdf

• HTML browser format

  • UN220order.UN220OrderInstance1.html

Note the above examples are produced using Crane's XSLT and XSL-FO stylesheets. The HTML and XSL-FO are created by running the Saxon XSLT processor http://saxon.sourceforge.net/. The PDF is created by running the Antenna House XSL Formatter Version 2.3 http://www.AntennaHouse.com (with their gracious permission) to produce PostScript from XSL-FO and GhostScript AFPL http://www.GhostScript.com to distill PDF from the PostScript.

Example implementations:

These implementations must not be considered as reference implementations of UBL formatting specifications or as normative components of the UBL delivery; they are merely examples from what will probably be many available UBL stylesheet libraries.

• XSLT and XSL-FO stylesheets in clear text from Crane Softwrights Ltd.:

  • release version: crane-ublss-20030214-0410.zip

  • latest version: http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/links/res-ublo.htm

• Java JAR standalone implementation of Crane's XSLT and XSL-FO stylesheets from Ambrosoft, Inc.:

  • release version: ambrosoft-crane-ublss-20030214-0420.zip

  • latest version: http://www.ambrosoft.com

1.3: Layout order and information

Items in this formatting specification are ordered roughly from the laid out fields on the form in the order left-to-right, top to bottom.

Certain descriptions are verbatim quotes from the United Nations guidelines document.

Important: the rendering of a number of fields is very simplified, reflecting a Western European interpretation of a subset of fields (as in names and addresses). User requirements need to be better understood for the level of granularity in these stylesheets.

1.4: Namespaces

The following namespaces are mapped to the prefixes in the expressions below:

• po = "urn:oasis:names:tc:ubl:Order:1.0:0.70"

• cat = "urn:oasis:names:tc:ubl:CommonAggregateTypes:1.0:0.70"

2: Miscellaneous information

The following information is unrelated to the visible fields of the form.

2.1: Document header information

This information shows up in the window-title bar of the HTML browser, and in the document title supported by some XSL-FO processors.

3: Party information

Header information is associated with the form as a whole, not to the individual items of goods.

3.1: Seller

This field is intended to show the name and address of the sender of goods or the originator of the documents, as the case may be.

3.2: Purchase order number

The reference number is a number or designation preferably common throughout each set of documents.

3.3: Date

If not otherwise specified, "date" means the date of issue of the document in which it appears.

3.4: Seller's reference

May reference any quote for the ordered goods

3.5: Buyer's reference

May reference any contract that covers this order

3.6: Other reference

At this time this field is not being filled in for the Order.

3.7: Consignee

The field for the name and address of the consignee has been located in conformity with international postal specifications so as to allow the use of window envelopes.

The contents of this field is the same as the 3.8 Buyer field.

3.8: Buyer

The field for the name and address to which documents are sent (buyer).

3.9: Buyer's bank

3.10: Country of origin

3.11: Country of destination

4: Delivery and transport

Transportation fields that are header-like and applicable to the entire order.

4.1: Mode of transport

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.2: Date of despatch

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.3: Means of transport

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.4: Place of despatch

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.5: Place of loading

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.6: Place of discharge

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.7: Place of delivery

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.8: Terms of delivery

4.9: Location

4.10: Time of delivery

At this time this field is not being used for the Order.

4.11: Transport Charges

NB may be more than one of these

4.12: Terms of payment

NB may be more than one of these

4.13: Currency of payment

NB may be more than one of these

5: Line item information

Line item information is associated with the individual items of the goods in the order.

5.1: Shipping marks

At this time this field is not being used in the Order.

5.2: Container Nr.

At this time this field is not being used in the Order.

5.3: Number and kind of packages; description of goods

At this time this field is not being used in the Order.

5.4: Total gross weight (Kg)

The gross weight of the order (not the shipment as we don't know it yet)

5.5: Cube m3

The gross volume of the order (not the shipment as we don't know it yet)

5.6: Item

This is the reference to the Order line.

5.7: Description

One of these exists for each Line item.

5.8: Quantity U/M

One of these exists for each line item.

5.9: Unit price

One of these exists for each line item.

5.10: Amount

This is not calculated - it is transmitted

6: Summary information

Summary information is associated with the form as a whole, not to the individual items of goods.

6.1: Invoice clauses

At this time this field is not being used in the Order

6.2: Total amount

Two data fields populate this one form field: the currency and the total amount.

The total amount is the sum of all of the 5.10 Amount fields. NB should not be calculated it is transmitted

6.3: Name of signatory

At this time this field is not being filled in.

6.4: Place of issue

At this time this field is not being filled in.

6.5: Signature

This is not being filled in by the stylesheet and is left for a human to sign.

UN layout formatting specification for UBL Order instances
G. Ken Holman
Copyright © 2003 OASIS
$Date: 2003/02/10 21:28:52 $(UTC)