RFC 1767 (rfc1767) - Page 1 of 7

MIME Encapsulation of EDI Objects

Network Working Group                                         D. Crocker
Request for Comments: 1767                        Brandenburg Consulting
Category: Standards Track                                     March 1995


                   MIME Encapsulation of EDI Objects

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction...........................................  1
   2. Application/EDIFACT specification......................  2
   3. Application/EDI-X12 specification......................  3
   4. Application/EDI-Consent specification..................  4
   5. Sample edi usage in MIME-based email...................  5
   6. References.............................................  5
   7. Security Considerations................................  6
   8. Acknowledgments........................................  6
   9. Author's Address.......................................  6
   10. Appendix - MIME for EDI users.........................  7

1.  Introduction

   Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) provides a means of conducting
   structured transactions between trading partners.  The delivery
   mechanism for these types of transactions in a paper world has been
   the postal system, so it is to be expected that electronic mail would
   serve as a natural delivery mechanism for electronic transactions.
   This specification permits formatted electronic business interchanges
   to be encapsulated within MIME messages [Bore92].  For the
   specification effort, the basic building block from EDI is an
   interchange.

   This specification pertains only to the encapsulation of EDI objects
   within the MIME environment.  It intends no changes in those objects
   from the primary specifications that define the syntax and semantics
   of them.  EDI transactions take place through a variety of carriage
   and exchange mechanisms.  This specification adds to that repertoire,
   by permitting convenient carriage through Internet email.





Crocker