FTP file transfers are widely used for communicating both ONIX product metadata files and EDI transaction messages. The EDItEUR FTP Filenaming standard is designed to provide a consistent and secure method of managing file transfers by FTP. It was originally developed by BISAC in the US, and is now published and maintained by EDItEUR in association with BISAC and BIC (UK).
Although always referred to as a Filenaming standard, it does not in fact constrain the main body of the file name, but provides a set of conventions for using the file extension to indicate the type of content carried in an FTP transfer, and the status of delivery and extraction during the transfer process.
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Alongside an ONIX metdata feed, data suppliers may also supply various resource files — cover images, content samples and so on. ONIX metadata may include a URL from which these files may be downloaded. Alternatively, the metadata may only include a filename, and the file may be supplied separately (eg by upload to the recipient's resource repository. This creates potential issues for filenaming.
A filenaming convention that avoids these issues has been developed by DILVE and the ONIX National Group for Spain.