EDI X12 vs UN/EDIFACT
The table below highlights the difference between the EDI X12 standard and EDIFACT standard.
Topic | ANSI X12 | UN/EDIFACT | |
Application | Mostly used in North America | Mostly used in Europe and Asia | |
Terminologies Equivalence | Transaction Sets | Messages | |
Loops | Groups | ||
Terminators | Separators | ||
Interchange Header/Trailer Segments |
ISA/IEA | UNB/UNZ | |
Group Header/Trailer Segments |
GS/GE | UNG/UNE (optional) | |
Transaction Set, (Message) Header/Trailer |
ST/SE | UNH/UNT | |
Separators Specification Segment | ISA | UNA (optional) | |
Commonly used Terminators, (Separators) | Segment | ~ | ' |
Element | * | + | |
Composite | > | : | |
Release Indicator | Not supported | Supported | |
Composite Elements | Rarely used | Commonly Used | |
Acknowledgment | TA1 and 997 | CONTRL | |
Binary support | BIN, BDS segments | ISO 9735-8 - Associated data in EDI | |
¹Security | ASC X12.58 - Security Structures | - ISO 9735-5 - Security rules for batch EDI (authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation of origin) - ISO 9735-6 - Secure authentication and acknowledgement message (message type - AUTACK) - ISO 9735-7 - Security rules for batch EDI (confidentiality) - ISO 9735-9 - Security key and certificate management message (message type - KEYMAN) |
¹ UN/EDIFACT Security rules are not currently supported in Framework EDI
Below is a diagram of the control segments of an ASC X12 format
Below is a diagram of the control segments of a UN/EDIFACT format
The EDIdEv Framework EDI component supports both the X12 and UN/EDIFACT standards. It is basically an EDI parser, which you would reference in your program so that you can quickly create EDI solutions to support EDI files from both these standards. Download the example programs to see how easily it can be done.
Click here to download example programs that generate, translate and acknowledge X12 EDI files.
To download example programs that process UN/EDIFACT EDI files, click here.
Click here to evaluate the Framework EDI
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