Trailer (computing)

In <a href="/facts/Information_technology/glMzunwe">information technology</a>, a trailer or footer refers to supplemental <a href="/facts/Data/AUBFN97o">data</a> (<a href="/facts/Metadata/qt35z79C">metadata</a>) placed at the end of a block of data being stored or transmitted, which may contain information for the handling of the data block, or simply mark the block's end.
In data transmission, the data following the end of the <a href="/facts/Header_(computing)/DSbn3tM1">header</a> and preceding the start of the trailer is called the <a href="/facts/Payload_(computing)/zN2Pgfq6">payload</a> or body.
It is vital that trailer composition follow a clear and unambiguous <a href="/facts/Specification/xEMUsktp">specification</a> or <a href="/facts/File_format/qrXbwJaH">format</a>, to allow for <a href="/facts/Parsing/nRKB01S3">parsing</a>. If a trailer is not removed properly, or part of the payload is removed thinking it is a trailer, it can cause confusion.
The trailer contains information concerning the destination of a packet being sent over a network so for instance in the case of emails the destination of the email is contained in the trailer

Trailer (computing) open-in-new

Trailer (computing)