RFC 1895 (rfc1895) - Page 1 of 6

The Application/CALS-1840 Content-type

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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
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