Introduction to TRANSFER Delivery System

Packages The TRANSFER Environment
2-10 109426—Introduction to TRANSFER Delivery System
Packages
A package is a collection of information that can be sent from one correspondent to
other correspondents. Correspondents assemble items into packages so that
TRANSFER can move the packages from one depot to another.
TRANSFER builds a package when a user creates a package header item and makes
separate requests to add recipients, data, component items, and delivery parameters.
Only the correspondent who creates the package header item can modify the package.
After a package is sent, not even the creator of the package can modify it.
The package header item is like the label on an actual package that you mail. This
header indicates who is sending the package and to whom, when the package was sent,
what its delivery priority is, and what the component items are.
If a package has component items, the component items can include any type of data.
When the components of a package include a package header item, the result is a
package nested in another package. If an item in a package references other items, those
second-level items are not listed in the package header.
Figure 2-3 shows a package that contains:
■ A header item, Item ID 412
■ Two component items:
■ Item ID 8, which contains two second-level component items:
Item ID 744 (ASCII text)
Item ID 106 (binary data)
■ Item ID 93, a package containing Item ID 5, a component item of data
This package does not contain any external objects.