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echo: fido_util
to: All
from: Lars Kellogg-Stedman
date: 2011-03-09 15:46:50
subject: A packet format question

I realize this echo doesn't see a much activity these days, but
I have a question regarding FTS-0001 and I'm not sure where else to post
it.  Warning: pedantic, and only of interest to those developing
software to parse or create packets.

I'm writing some software that interacts with FTN packets.  My reading
of FTS-0001 is that:

(a) a packed message ends with a NUL byte, terminating the body section.  So:

 ...messages data... 00

(b) A packet ends with the end-of-packet maker ("00 00"), which
comes after the
final message body, so in theory the end of a packet looks like:

 ...message data... 00 00 00

This seems to be the case for 99% of the packets that I've seen, but I
have come across a few that violate this reading, and end like this:

  ...message data.. 00 00

Suggesting that either the final message body is missing a NUL or the
end-of-packet marker is incorrect.  In your opinion: is this permitted
by FTS-0001?  This question is of mostly academic interest, since the
fact is these packets exist so my software has to deal with them.  I'm
really just looking for an opinion to specs compliance to see if I'm
reading things correctly.

--- slrn/0.9.9p1 (Linux)
* Origin: Fidonet Via Newsreader - http://www.easternstar.info (1:123/789.0)
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SEEN-BY: 226/0 230/150 249/303 250/1 306 261/20 38 100 1381 1404 1410 1418
SEEN-BY: 266/1413 275/91 280/1027 282/1055 320/119 393/68 396/45 633/260 267
SEEN-BY: 712/848 800/432 801/161 189 5030/1256
@PATH: 123/789 500 261/38 633/260 267

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