RFC 1895 (rfc1895) - Page 1 of 6
The Application/CALS-1840 Content-type
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group E. Levinson
Request for Comments: 1895 Accurate Info. Sys., Inc.
Category: Informational February 1996
The Application/CALS-1840 Content-type
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo
does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of
this memo is unlimited.
Abstract
This memorandum provides guidelines for using the United States
Department of Defense Military Standard MIL-STD-1840, "Automated
Interchange of Technical Information," with the Internet electronic
mail standards, RFC 822 and RFC 1521. Electronic mail provides a
more convenient mechanism that delivery via physical media for
certain types and quantities of data. Software already exists to
support data exchanges based on MIL-STD-1840 and it can continue to
be used in conjunction with electronic mail exchanges defined in this
document. This document defines a new media type and a MIME message
structure for exchanging data in conformance with MIL-STD-1840.
1. Introduction
The United States Department of Defense (DOD) has defined a standard,
MIL-STD-1840 [1840], for the exchange of digital data. Most
applications of that standard use 9-track tape as the transport
medium. The Application/CALS-1840 media-type is proposed to
facilitate such exchanges using the Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions [MIME] and network based transport media, i.e. electronic
mail [822].
This memo has been reviewed and authorized by the Continuous
Acquistion and Life-cycle Support (CALS) Industry Steering Group
(ISG). CALS is a US DOD initiative for the use and exchange of
digital data. The Industry Steering Group, which consists of members
drawn from government and industry, guides the development of CALS
standards such as [1840].
2. Definition
An [1840] exchange consists of a set of files with well defined file
names (see below). Each set consists of a declaration file and one
or more data files. The data files, in turn, consist of header
Levinson Informational