# Message identification and reply linkage.

    Document: FTS-0009
    Version:  001
    Date:     17-Dec-91

                                   MSGID / REPLY
                      A standard for unique message identifiers
                              and reply chain linkage

                                17 December, 1991

                                     jim nutt
                                 1:114/30@fidonet

    Status of this document:

         This FTS (FidoNet(r) Technical Standard) specifies an optional
         standard for the FidoNet community.  Implementation of the
         protocols defined in this document is not mandatory,  but all
         implementations of these protocols are expected to adhere to this
         standard.  Distribution of this document is unlimited.

         Fido and FidoNet are registered marks of Tom Jennings and Fido
         Software.

    MSGID

         A MSGID line consists of the string "^AMSGID:" (where ^A is a
         control-A (hex 01) and the double-quotes are not part of the
         string),  followed by a space,  the address of the originating
         system,  and a serial number unique to that message on the
         originating system,  i.e.:

              ^AMSGID: origaddr serialno

         The originating address should be specified in a form that
         constitutes a valid return address for the originating network.
         If the originating address is enclosed in double-quotes,  the
         entire string between the beginning and ending double-quotes is
         considered to be the orginating address.  A double-quote character
         within a quoted address is represented by by two consecutive
         double-quote characters.  The serial number may be any eight
         character hexadecimal number,  as long as it is unique - no two
         messages from a given system may have the same serial number
         within a three years.  The manner in which this serial number is
         generated is left to the implementor.

    REPLY

         A REPLY line consists of the string "^AREPLY:" (where ^A is a
         control-A (hex 01) and the double-quotes are not part of the
         string),  followed by a space, and the origaddr and serialno
         fields of the MSGID line of the message to which this message is a
         reply,  i.e.:

            ^AREPLY: origaddr serialno

         The origaddr and serialno fields must be identical to the
         corresponding fields in the MSGID of the message to which this
         message is a reply.  A REPLY line is never generated in a
         message that is a reply to a message that does not contain a
         MSGID line.

    GENERAL

         MSGID and REPLY lines should be placed before the text body of the
         message in which they appear.

         Finally,  a MSGID is generated only at the time of message
         creation.  An existing MSGID and/or REPLY should never be stripped
         from a message passing through an intermediate system.  No system
         should ever add an MSGID and/or REPLY to,  or modify an existing
         MSGID / REPLY contained in,  a message not originating on that
         system.

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