SMTP Client Developer's Guide

Documentation and Testing Workgroup > Documentation Priorities > SMTP Client Developer's Guide

Abstract

The SMTP Client Developer's Guide is a practical introduction to developing an application that uses SMTP-based Direct Project standards to push documents between sources and recipients. The Developer's Guide focuses on the structures and protocols surrounding the use of SMTP in Direct Project exchanges, exploring concepts of trust, security, and the ways that appropriate metadata can facilitate exchange, as well as enumerating available resources for development, validation, and testing.
 
 
 The Developer's Guide is designed as a practical overview of the use of SMTP within applications, as well as seating that use within the larger environment of the Direct Project itself. The Guide is divided into the following sections: [*jlc: up for debate, certainly]
 
 
 

Fundamentals

An initial orientation to the use of SMTP, S/MIME, DNS CERT, and IMAP client operations within the Direct Project. 
 
 
 

Variations

A discussion of the various ways SMTP messages are exchanged between a Source, Destination, or Health Information Services Provider, and the various points in the communication where your development will be affected. 
 
 
 

Development

An exploration of the standards and security restraints, the various tools available to support your development, and guides to testing the results.
 
 
 

Best Practices

Recommendations on preferred design techniques for using SMTP with S/MIME to exchange the most useful and most fault-tolerant set of data possible given other situational constraints.
 
 
 

Appendix

Reference information and specifications, as well as FAQs, a glossary of terms, and other information.
 

---

Client Developer Guide