.TH DOTS 5.SH NameDOTS \- Data Object Transport Syntax (DOTS) files.SH Description.NXR "DOTS".NXR "Data Object Transport Syntax (DOTS) files".NXR "file" "Data Object Transport Syntax (DOTS)".NXR "DDIS/ASN.1 encoding"Data Object Transport Syntax (DOTS) is DDIS/ASN.1 encoding for encapsulating the encoded interchange form of a number of related dataobjects.  Data objects must be related by having embedded references toother objects in the same DOTS encapsulation.  Typically,these embedded referencesdepend on the storage address (for example, filename) of thereferenced object.  Therefore, when the referenced object ismoved from one location to another, the storage address must beupdated..PPThe purpose of DOTS is to allow composite data objects to bemoved from one location to another as a single object and to allowthe necessary storage reference to be updated as part of the process..PPThe primary use for DOTS is moving multifile compound documents inwhich one DDIF or DTIF file may have reference data stored in a physically separate file.  Mail is a major vehicle for moving DOTS objects..PPThe commands.PN ctodand.PN dtocare used to pack and unpack DDIF and DTIF files.  The commands can also beused to copy a related set of DDIF or DTIF files, or both, from one location to another.  .SH See Alsoctod(1), dtoc(1), DDIF(5), DTIF(5), DDIS(5), CDA(5)