User-information-field vs. Other-information

Hi,

Just looking at the standard's specificaton of Init at
	http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950/agency/markup/04.html
and I read those familiar paragraphs:

	3.2.1.1.7 User-information-field This parameter may be
	used by the origin or target for additional
	information not specified by this standard.

	3.2.1.1.8 Other-information This parameter may be used
	by the origin or target for additional information not
	specified by the standard. This parameter may be used
	only if version 3 is in force.

(The same things appear in other services' PDUs)

Can anyone remember why we have both of these, and what the
distinction between them is supposed to be?  From the fact that
Other-information is only supported in v3, I suppose we can deduce
that during the gestation period for Z39.50-1995, someone wanted to do
something that, it was felt, wasn't an appropriate use for
User-information-field -- but what on earth could that be?

 _/|_	 _______________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <mike@indexdata.com>  http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "Simplification good!  Oversimplification bad!" -- Larry Wall.

--
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Received on Tuesday, 9 September 2003 07:17:03 UTC