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Aucbvax.5647 fa.digest-p utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!digest-people Mon Dec 28 15:23:07 1981 standard format digests >From ALA@MIT-AI Mon Dec 28 15:10:13 1981

I also have a set of programs which depend on the current digest format for their use. Ours are used for the creation of digest lists on DEC's ENet. Vast changes from the current format for digests will do wonders for breaking my software as well as the software for redistributing ARPAnet originated lists on the ENet.

For any reasonable software to be written which works for all of the digest lists they have to maintain a standard format. This gives one the advantage of writing only one piece of software per mail reader/operating system for all digest-type lists. This seems like a very winning situation. In my opinion this minimally includes the header line of Digest Name, Volume, <VOLUME #> Issue, <ISSUE #>, a set of today's topics (or something), followed by 70 dashes, each messsage followed by 30 dashes, and an END OF <DIGEST NAME> DIGEST, and something valid on the next line. My software will break without this minimum.

Personally, I want the Today's Topics: line and the lines following it standard so automatic indexing programs are possible. This means that you can't put administrative messages in today's topics sections. I also like the day and date on the first line of the digest, but that's not particularly important to programs only useful to humans.

Best, Alyson

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