CDF - Channel Definition Format

CDF (Channel Definition Format) is the proposed open industry standard for data definition of content to be pushed across the Internet. CDF is an application of XML, which is a subset of SGML, that specifies how data can be automatically broadcast from any web server to compatible receiver programs on client computers requesting such broadcasts.

Channel Definition Format Press Release made by Microsoft lists the wide industry support for its efforts in trying to define standard data definition formats. Here you will find links to numerous vendors in support of CDF.

Microsoft's Submission Request to W3C contains the request for adoption of the proposed CDF standard. The complete syntax of the CDF language is specified as proposed in this March 1997 submission to the W3C.

CDF Definition this provides a summary of proposed changes to the original CDF submission to the W3C. It defines a channel and many tags and attributes of CDF. This document provides CDF language syntax.

CDF 101: Creating a Simple Channel is a Microsoft tutorial that covers how to set up a CDF channel for content delivery under Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0.

Push Your Web Pages is an Information Week article that discusses the new proposed push standards by Netscape and Microsoft.

Making Push Work for You is a NetGuide magazine article that provides an introduction to Push technology. It lists vendors that offer Push products and briefly offers a few opinions on the CDF standard.