UN layout formatting specification for UBL Despatch Advice instances

Author: G. Ken Holman
Date: $Date: 2003/02/10 22:11:56 $(UTC)

Copyright © 2003 OASIS

Table of contents

1 Despatch advice formatting specification
1.1 Status
1.2 Example renderings and implementations
1.3 Layout order and information
1.4 Namespaces
2 Miscellaneous information
2.1 Document header information
3 Party information
3.1 Seller
3.2 Seller's/consignor's reference
3.3 Buyer's reference
3.4 Consignee
3.5 Buyer
4 Delivery and transport
4.1 Mode of transport
4.2 Date of despatch
4.3 Means of transport
4.4 Place of despatch
4.5 Vessel/flight No.
4.6 Place of loading
4.7 Place of discharge
4.8 Place of delivery
5 goods information
5.1 Shipping marks
5.2 Container Nr.
5.3 Number and kind of packages; description of goods
5.4 Total gross weight (Kg)
6 Summary information
6.1 Documentary instructions
6.2 Additional distribution
6.3 Name of contact

1: Despatch advice formatting specification

This formatting specification describes a rendering of the UBL Despatch Advice document model according to the United Nations Layout Key for Trade Documents guidelines for application for the 351 despatch advice form:

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:

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.

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:

2: Miscellaneous information

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

2.1: Document header information

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ID
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:IssueDate

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

Note 1:

The information in the document header isn't revealed anywhere in the body of the form; is this acceptable? Should it be changed?

3: Party information

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

3.1: Seller

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:SellerParty/​cat:PartyName/​cat:Name
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:SellerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:Street
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:SellerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:SellerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:CountrySub-EntityCode
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:SellerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:Country/​cat:Code

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: Seller's/consignor's reference

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ReferencedOrder/​cat:SellersOrderID

reference for the goods

3.3: Buyer's reference

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ReferencedOrder/​cat:BuyersOrderID

reference for the goods

3.4: 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 3.5 Buyer field.

3.5: Buyer

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:BuyerParty/​cat:PartyName/​cat:Name
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:BuyerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:Street
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:BuyerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:BuyerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:CountrySub-EntityCode
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:BuyerParty/​cat:Address/​cat:Country/​cat:Code

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

4: Delivery and transport

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

4.1: Mode of transport

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:ShipmentStage/​cat:TransportModeCode

NB may be more than one

Note 2:

How should multiple mode of transport fields be formatted?

4.2: Date of despatch

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:ShipmentStage/​cat:TransitPeriod/​cat:StartDateTimeDate

Use the earliest date (if more than one)

Note 3:

The "earliest" test hasn't yet been implemented.

4.3: Means of transport

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:ShipmentStage/​cat:TransportMeansTypeCode

NB may be more than one

Note 4:

How should multiple means of transport fields be formatted?

4.4: Place of despatch

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:SendFromAddress/​cat:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:SendFromAddress/​cat:Country/​cat:Code

Despatch is the required place

4.5: Vessel/flight No.

Currently omitted from library (to be resolved)

4.6: Place of loading

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:SendFromAddress/​cat:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:SendFromToAddress/​cat:Country/​cat:Code

Loading is the actual place

4.7: Place of discharge

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:DeliverToAddress/​cat:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:DeliverToAddress/​cat:Country/​cat:Code

Discharge is the actual place

4.8: Place of delivery

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:DeliverToAddress/​cat:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:DeliverToAddress/​cat:Country/​cat:Code

Delivery is the required place

5: goods information

Goods information is associated with the individual items of the goods in the shipment

5.1: Shipping marks

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:DespatchedTransportHandlingUnit/​cat:ID

This field is not clearly defined in the message

5.2: Container Nr.

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:TransportEquipment/​cat:ID

NB may be many of these

Note 5:

How should multiple container number fields be formatted?

5.3: Number and kind of packages; description of goods

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:DespatchedTransportHandlingUnit/​cat:TypeCode
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:OrderLine/​cat:Quantity
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:DeliveryRequirement/​cat:OrderLine/​cat:Item/​cat:Description

5.4: Total gross weight (Kg)

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:ActualShipment/​cat:GrossWeightMeasure

The gross weight of the shipment

6: Summary information

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

6.1: Documentary instructions

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​da:Notes

Note 6:

How should multiple notes be formatted? Need they be enumerated? Any impact on "footnote"-like pointers?

6.2: Additional distribution

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:FreightForwarderParty/​cat:PartyName/​cat:Name
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:FreightForwarderParty/​cat:Address/​cat:Street
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:FreightForwarderParty/​cat:Address/​cat:CityName
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:FreightForwarderParty/​cat:Address/​cat:CountrySub-EntityCode
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:FreightForwarderParty/​cat:Address/​cat:Country/​cat:Code

6.3: Name of contact

Path
/​da:DespatchAdvice/​cat:FreightForwarderParty/​cat:Contact/​cat:Name


Editor's notes

Note 1: 2.1 - Document header information

The information in the document header isn't revealed anywhere in the body of the form; is this acceptable? Should it be changed?

Note 2: 4.1 - Mode of transport

How should multiple mode of transport fields be formatted?

Note 3: 4.2 - Date of despatch

The "earliest" test hasn't yet been implemented.

Note 4: 4.3 - Means of transport

How should multiple means of transport fields be formatted?

Note 5: 5.2 - Container Nr.

How should multiple container number fields be formatted?

Note 6: 6.1 - Documentary instructions

How should multiple notes be formatted? Need they be enumerated? Any impact on "footnote"-like pointers?


UN layout formatting specification for UBL Despatch Advice instances
G. Ken Holman
Copyright © 2003 OASIS
$Date: 2003/02/10 22:11:56 $(UTC)