< networking , standard > Information Retrieval Service Definition and Protocol Specification for Library Applications, officially known as ANSI/NISO Z39.50-1992, and ANSI/NISO Z39.50-1995. This standard , used by WAIS , specifies an OSI application layer service to allow an application on one computer to query a database on another.
Z39.50 is used in libraries and for searching some databases on the Internet . The US Library of Congress is the official maintanence agency for Z39.50.
Index Data , a Danish company, have released a lot of Z39.50 code. Their web site explains the relevant ISO standards and how they are amicably converging in Z39.50 version 4.0.
Overview .
Z39.50 resources .
(1996-07-22)