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 necessary storage reference to be updated as part of the process. 

The primary use for DOTS is moving multi-file compound documents in which one DDIF file may have reference data, such as spreadsheet output, stored in a physically separate file.  Mail is a major vehicle for moving DOTS objects. 

The commands ctod and dtoc are used to copy DDIF files from one location to another.  DOTS is used as the intermediate encoding syntax.

SEE ALSO

ctod(1), dtoc(1), DDIF(5), DDIS(5)

File Formats