cn@ethz.UUCP (cn) (08/18/90)
Hi, I have to understand some protocoll specifications which are written using ASN.1, so I have to learn ASN.1. Unfortunatly the description in the CCITT Blue-Book (X.208) is not very easy to read. Can anybody out there point me to some better description of ASN.1, some paper/articles which can help me learn it faster ? Thank you very much claudio (claudio@forty2) or claudio@amsoft.imp.com or PSI%022847931125::TRZCL1::C_NIEDER Claudio Nieder (3.944), Alcatel STR AG (DW), Friesenbergstr. 75, CH-8055 Zuerich Tel +41 1 465 2249, Fax +41 1 465 3525 (*Computer, the best toy ever invented*)
schaub@ethz.UUCP (Herbert Hotz) (08/18/90)
In article <5594@ethz.UUCP> claudio@forty2.UUCP (Claudio Nieder) writes:
Because of a wrongly set evironment variable USER the previous article has
been sent of with a wrong username. The address from which I posted it, is
schaub@ethz.UUP (Herbert Hotz)
I use this account with his permission to read and post news.
claudio (claudio@forty2)
or claudio@amsoft.imp.com or PSI%022847931125::TRZCL1::C_NIEDER
Claudio Nieder (3.944), Alcatel STR AG (DW), Friesenbergstr. 75, CH-8055 Zuerich
Tel +41 1 465 2249, Fax +41 1 465 3525 (*Computer, the best toy ever invented*)craig@bbn.com (Craig Partridge) (08/21/90)
>I have to understand some protocoll specifications which are written using >ASN.1, so I have to learn ASN.1. Unfortunatly the description in the CCITT >Blue-Book (X.208) is not very easy to read. Can anybody out there point me to >some better description of ASN.1, some paper/articles which can help me learn >it faster ? First, read the ISO versions of the CCITT standards -- much, much more readable. They're ISO 8824 and 8825. Second, take a peek at Marshall Rose's tutorial in "The Open Book", published by Prentice Hall. Craig Partridge
enag@ifi.uio.no (Erik Naggum) (08/22/90)
In article <59051@bbn.BBN.COM> craig@bbn.com (Craig Partridge) writes:
First, read the ISO versions of the CCITT standards -- much, much
more readable. They're ISO 8824 and 8825.
Hrmph! CCITT standards come in varying colors, a new one every fourth
year. The Red Book (1984) was a literary disaster, a blot on the
history of prose, etc, and I mean the _entire_ Red Book. "What we
have here is a failure to communicate" style. I was somewhat hesitant
to buy more of these standards, but bought X.400 (1988) for the fun of
it. Then guess what?
The Blue Book (1988) is very light, casual reading, compared to the
Red Book. You still have to cope with 400+ definitions of terms in
some of the more technical standards, but it is written by humans, for
humans, not by cyborgs for other cyborgs with their personalities
coded in CHILL. I have since bought two feet of Blue Books, and enjoy
reading about things I've wondered about since I was a kid.
If the CCITT folks had any marketing skills, they would place
flourescent stickers on the Blue Book: NEW AND IMPROVED! Instead,
they go like this:
The CCITT,
considering
(1) that the previous version of its Recommendations were not
easily readable,
(2) that much study has gone into formulating the ideas
contained therein in better ways,
(3) that several ideas needed to be expounded upon in greater
detail,
(4) that Administrations will need to distribute more copies
of CCITT Recommendations to the public, due to increased
interest in CCITT matters,
unanimously declares the view
- that the present version is new and improved.
And, lest people be confused, ISO 8824 + amendment 1 is identical to
CCITT Blue Book X.208, and ISO 8825 + amendment 1 is identical to
CCITT Blue Book X.209. The CCITT versions come in a nice soft-cover
book, and you can buy four copies of this book for the price of the
ISO standards, including amendments. The book contains half of the
X.200 series, including service definitions. Very useful.
--
[Erik Naggum] Gaustadalleen 21 +47-256-7822
<erik@naggum.uu.no> N-0371 OSLO; NORWAY +47-260-4427 (fax)csg@pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl S. Gutekunst) (08/24/90)
>The Red Book (1984) was a literary disaster, a blot on the history of prose, >etc, and I mean the _entire_ Red Book. Alas, that is still true for the lower-level protocols. The Blue Book actually made things worse in X.25; the document is awash in typographical errors. It gave me quite a start to realize that the document was *not* machine genera- ted; many of the "typographical" errors were cut-and-paste layout mistakes. So I would strongly recommend ISO7776 and ISO8208 for X.25 fans. Also, curiously, ISO6256, which is supposed to be obsolete but actually has some very important (for implementors) details of the frame level that are documented nowhere else in the known universe. <csg>
bapat@rm1.UUCP (Subodh Bapat) (09/04/90)
In <59051@bbn.BBN.COM> craig@bbn.com (Craig Partridge) writes: >Second, take a peek at Marshall Rose's tutorial in "The Open Book", published >by Prentice Hall. >Craig Partridge From the PSC Publications Catalog: "Abstract Syntax Notation One - The Tutorial and Reference" by Douglas Steedman From the explanatory blurb: This book describes ASN.1 and the Basic Encoding Rules amd their roles in the specification and representation of protocol information. The history, present status and emerging future developments are also described. In addition, the place of these important standards in OSI is explained. The book is organized in two parts. The first of these, the tutorial, explains ASN.1 and its many facets in a narrative style. All of ASN.1 is covered, including the controversial "macro" capability. There are copier examples intended to demonstrate all of its aspects. The second part is the reference. This part provides a complete specification of the syntax of ASN.1 as well as its many tables and figures. Publication date: October 1990 Price: US $ 72.00 (includes postage and packing). For more information, call PSC (Protocol Standards and Communications) in Ottawa, Ontario at 1-800-461-0999. [ I have no affiliation with PSC or Doug Steedman. ] -- Subodh Bapat bapat@rm1.uu.net OR ...uunet!rm1!bapat MS E-204, PO Box 407044, Racal-Milgo, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33340 (305) 846-6068 "Inglish well speeched here." -- sign in a Miami restaraunt.