What does CIF stand for?
| Full form | Common Interchange Format |
|---|---|
| Category | Technology & computing |
| Type | Abbreviation |
The abbreviation CIF stands for Common Interchange Format in ITU’s SDL interchange context. It concerns transferring graphical Specification and Description Language models between tools.
ITU’s Z.106 catalog describes exchanging graphical SDL information that a textual-only representation can lose. The word Interchange is important: it separates this meaning from the video term Common Intermediate Format. Identify the SDL model, format or recommendation version and the source and destination tools. Preserving diagram information is a different question from establishing that the model’s behaviour is correct or that two current tools support the same format.
Meaning in context
- Common
- The shared-interchange context in the name.
- Interchange
- Transfer between tools, rather than a video picture-size label.
- Format
- The specified graphical SDL representation, not proof that every tool pair is compatible.
Practical examples
Disambiguate the technical name
- Before
The SDL export uses CIF, so it must be a 352-by-288 video frame.
- After
In this SDL exchange record, CIF means Common Interchange Format; keep the model and format version with the export.
Two technical expansions share the same letters. A graphical model is not a luminance grid.
Review an import
- Before
The diagram imported, so the model’s behaviour is proven correct.
- After
Review the imported diagram information separately from the model’s behaviour and the actual tool support.
An import observation is narrower than a correctness proof. The example promises no current software compatibility.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use CIF with clarity
What should I check when CIF refers to moving an SDL model between tools?
See all guidance
Read an export record
Name SDL and the applicable format version.
This is an SDL model interchange record.
Check tool support
Consult both tools’ documentation for the stated version.
Do the exporting and importing tools support this representation?
Review an import
Check retained graphical information and model behaviour as separate tasks.
A preserved diagram is not itself a behavioural proof.
The note defines an interchange check. It converts no model, tests no actual tool pair and proves no model behaviour.
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By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy