dots(5) [ultrix man page]

DOTS(5) 							File Formats Manual							   DOTS(5)

Name
       DOTS - Data Object Transport Syntax (DOTS) files

Description
       Data  Object  Transport	Syntax	(DOTS)	is  DDIS/ASN.1 encoding for encapsulating the encoded interchange form of a number of related data
       objects.  Data objects must be related by having embedded references to other objects in the same  DOTS	encapsulation.	 Typically,  these
       embedded  references depend on the storage address (for example, filename) of the referenced object.  Therefore, when the referenced object
       is moved from one location to another, the storage address must be updated.

       The purpose of DOTS is to allow composite data objects to be moved from one location to another as a single object and to allow the  neces-
       sary storage reference to be updated as part of the process.

       The  primary  use for DOTS is moving multifile compound documents in which one DDIF or DTIF file may have reference data stored in a physi-
       cally separate file.  Mail is a major vehicle for moving DOTS objects.

       The commands and are used to pack and unpack DDIF and DTIF files.  The commands can also be used to copy a related  set	of  DDIF  or  DTIF
       files, or both, from one location to another.

See Also
       ctod(1), dtoc(1), DDIF(5), DTIF(5), DDIS(5), CDA(5)

																	   DOTS(5)

DDIF(5) 							File Formats Manual							   DDIF(5)

Name
       DDIF - Digital Document Interchange Format (DDIF) files

Description
       Digital	Document Interchange Format (DDIF) is a DDIS/ASN.1 encoding for the interchange of revisable compound documents with document pro-
       cessing systems.  DDIF is also a document output format, a storage format for user documents residing on a disk, and  a	compound  document
       format.

       The  purpose  of DDIF is to allow the creation of compound documents and also to serve as a standard intermediate format for the conversion
       of documents based on other formats.  For example, a simple ASCII text file can be converted to DDIF, and the DDIF file can  then  be  con-
       verted to PostScript.  A DDIF document can also be converted to ASCII.

       DDIF files are documents or portions of compound documents.  A DDIF document is considered a simple document if it consists of one file.  A
       DDIF document is considered a compound document if it consists of more than one file, the master of which must be a DDIF file.

       A DDIF file can contain storage addresses (for example, filename) of other files, which must be DDIF, ASCII text,  binary,  or  PostScript.
       References to DOTS files is not supported.

       Because	a  DDIF file can reference another DDIF file and the referenced DDIF file can reference other DDIF files, a DDIF document can con-
       sist of a tree of files.

       The following commands are used to manipulate DDIF files:

       cdoc		   Provides a set of converters to and from DDIF format.

       ctod		   Packs DDIF documents into DOTS syntax.  The user can choose to archive a DDIF document in  this  manner.   The  command
			   also copies DDIF files from one location to another.

       dtoc		   Copies DDIF files from one location to another.

       dxvdoc		   Enables  user to view DDIF documents. The command is used on workstations running ULTRIX UWS software.  The command can
			   also display imbedded graphics and image data that is encoded in the DDIF syntax.

       vdoc		   Enables user to view DDIF documents.  The command is for use on character-cell terminals.

       DDIF documents can be mailed to other users.

See Also
       cdoc(1), ctod(1), dtoc(1), vdoc(1), dxvdoc(1X), DOTS(5), DDIS(5)

																	   DDIF(5)