Technical implementation

The SBC file (for example MEDIEN.SBC) follows the title specification.

The ZIP file (for example MEDIEN.ZIP) is created from the SBC file with the ZIP method (external site) (PKZIP-compatible (external site)). The following end marker is then appended to the ZIP file, without the quotation marks: "BAFO: *** EOF ***".

The marked ZIP file is then copied onto the data carriers, numbered consecutively starting at 000:

• (1) MEDIEN.SBC → (2) MEDIEN.ZIP + end marker → (3) MEDIEN.000, MEDIEN.001, MEDIEN.002 and so on

The files sit in the root directory of the data carriers; there are no subdirectories. The INI file (MEDIEN.INI) is written first on the first data carrier. The length of the individual files (MEDIEN.000, MEDIEN.001, MEDIEN.002 and so on) may vary. As a rule each data carrier is filled.

Example:

Datenträger 1:
MEDIEN.INI
MEDIEN.000
Datenträger 2:
MEDIEN.001
Datenträger 3:
MEDIEN.002
usw.

No particular medium is prescribed: any medium with a readable file system will do, these days normally a USB flash drive. In most cases the data is sent by e-mail anyway.

Where the data is sent by e-mail, it is sent as a ZIP file (MEDIEN.INI, MEDIEN.000, MEDIEN.001 and so on) named austauschdaten_ + the borrower number of the receiving library at the lending library + _ and the book block number (where one is given) + .zip, for example austauschdaten_245_bb4c.zip or austauschdaten_245.zip.

Many virus scanners and mail servers reject ZIP attachments. The file therefore carries the extension .zap when it is sent — austauschdaten_245.zip thus becomes austauschdaten_245.zap. Where the software does not already use that extension on export, the lending library renames the ZIP file accordingly before sending it. Where the receiving library's software cannot read ZAP files directly, it renames the file back to .zip beforehand.