Latest version of Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Writer's Guide

[philippconzett]

Our team has recently decided to implement DIF 10 support in our research data repository. I've been reviewing online resources to find an authoritative description of DIF 10 but still have some questions that I'd like to resolve before continuing our work:

The Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Writer's Guide seems to be the authoritative guide documenting the DIF standard. However, I haven't been able to locate the latest version of this guide. The URLs I found point to non-resolvable websites, e.g.:

http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/add/difguide/index.html
http://gcmd.nasa.gov/add/difguide/
http://gcmd.nasa.gov/User/difguide/difman.html

Could anyone provide me with the URL to the latest version of the Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Writer's Guide? Thanks!

[GCMDx - sritz]

The DIF Guide is at the following link:

https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/esdis/esco/standards-and-practices/directory-interchange-format-dif-standard

Scott

[philippconzett]

@Scott: Thanks for providing this link!

[philippconzett]

I just had a closer look. It seems I've been reviewing this page earlier, but couldn't find a link to the DIF Writer's Guide. There are two links to documentation of DIF:

- 2010 Update Document:
Updates to Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Standard (ESDS-RFC-023)
- 2008 Specification Document:
Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Standard (ESDS-RFC-012)

ESDS-RFC-012 points to the DIF Guide as "the sole specification document", but the link they provide doesn't resolve: http://gcmd.nasa.gov/User/difguide/.

I found a 2012 version of the guide in a internet archive:
https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/oilspill/20130217200737/http://gcmd.nasa.gov/User/difguide/index.html

I also found a reference to a 2022 version of the DIF Writer's Guide, but neither this link would resolve: https://idn.earthdata.nasa.gov/defaultDif10/metadata_version.html.

Does this mean there is no updated version of the DIF Writer's Guide available anymore and the only documentation is currently the 2010 Update Document (ESDS-RFC-023) and the 2008 Specification Document (ESDS-RFC-012)?

Philipp

[GCMDx - sritz]

Hi Phillip, the following documents are for archive purposes only. NASA has directed us to not make any major changes to the DIF standard moving forward.

- 2010 Update Document:
Updates to Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Standard (ESDS-RFC-023)
- 2008 Specification Document:
Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Standard (ESDS-RFC-012)

This is the only DIF documentation we will maintain moving forward.
https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/esdis/esco/standards-and-practices/directory-interchange-format-dif-standard

You may want to consider the Unified Metadata Model for Collections moving forward as it is more robust and has better documentation.

https://wiki.earthdata.nasa.gov/display/CMR/UMM-C+Schema+Representation
https://git.earthdata.nasa.gov/projects/EMFD/repos/unified-metadata-model/browse/collection/v1.18.1

Scott