Ok, I got bored last night, and turned into the Forces of the Net.
See the file "PICKLE", currently in /incoming/if-archive on gmd.de.
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PICKLE specification version 1 (DRAFT)
("Platform-Independent Composite Kumquat Lickable Format")
Written by Andrew Plotkin, 8/9/95
PICKLE is a way to encapsulate many resources of different types into
a single
file, which can easily be transferred between systems. The
archetypical use is
an enhanced text adventure, containing a program (in a
platform-independent
format such as Z-code) and a set of graphics and sound resources (in
platform-
independent formats such as GIF and AIFF.)
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It's very simple (most of the file describes the semantics, rather
than the syntax, and it's only 10K.) I don't expect anyone to run out
and stick PICKLE support into their interpreters, but I think it'll be
valuable if (for example) ZIP ever supports V6. From what I
understand, it could be useful for HUGO as well.
--Z
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."