Common Message Format ver 2.1 (9-9-2004)
                    ----------------------------------------
 
** everything below in a printable format (no compression - few if any special characters)
   note: graphics ... etc excepted
** most messages fixed length (1000 bytes for most configurations)
** something similar to below can be achieved with xml, but xml has the following drawbacks
   -1- building the message is more complicated (and error prone)
   -2- parsing the built message is more complicated
   -3- storing and retrieving from a database more difficult (John Layden may be able to help us here)
 
Message_Header (54 bytes)
  Message_Type                // 15 bytes (name clearing house?)
  Message_Type_Version        //  4 bytes (0001 - 9999)
     ** note: generally speaking newer versions should simply be adding fields to the end
              thereby allowing convenient expectations of field order by receiving pgms
  Message_Date                //  8 bytes (YYYYMMDD)  Message_Date                //  8 bytes (YYYYMMDD)
  Message_Time                //  9 bytes (HHMMSSMMM, hours minutes seconds milliseconds)
  Message_Sending_Program     //  8 bytes, mostly for debugging purposes
  Message_Seq                 //  3 digits (for when 1 logical message spans many physical)
  Message_Body_Config         //  1 byte
                              //    S -- small  (12 byte field content)
                              //    M -- medium (50 byte field content)
                              //    L -- large  (100 byte field content)
                              //    X -- xlarge (1 field per msg, (e.g. graphics)
  Message_Body_Length         //  6 bytes
                              //      -- 000946 for small config msgs
                              //      -- 000946 for mediuim config msgs
                              //      -- 000946 for large config msgs
                              //      -- ###### whatever value needed for xlargeMessage_Body_Small_Config
  array (35)
    Data_Type                 // 15 bytes (data name clearing house?)
      ** the receiving program needn't blindly look in fixed positions
         but can look for the expected variable by name
         -- this is most useful when a program is looking for the same data_type
 across
            message_types
    Data                      // 12 bytes
      ** numerics should be in printable format
        -- embedded decimal point
        -- leading sign or no sign
        -- right or left justified doesn't matter (program functions can handle
either)
  trailer (1 byte)
 
// ----------------
Message_Body_Medium_Config
  array (14)
    Data_Type                 // 15 bytes (data name clearing house?)
      ** the receiving program needn't blindly look in fixed positions
         but can look for the expected variable by name
         -- this is most useful when a program is looking for the same data_type across
            message_types
    Data                      // 50 bytes
  trailer (36 bytes)  array (14)
    Data_Type                 // 15 bytes (data name clearing house?)
      ** the receiving program needn't blindly look in fixed positions
         but can look for the expected variable by name
         -- this is most useful when a program is looking for the same data_type across
            message_types
    Data                      // 50 bytes
  trailer (36 bytes)
 
// ----------------
Message_Body_Large_Config
  array (8)
    Data_Type                 // 15 bytes (data name clearing house?)
      ** the receiving program needn't blindly look in fixed positions
         but can look for the expected variable by name
         -- this is most useful when a program is looking for the same data_type across
            message_types
    Data                      // 100 bytes
  trailer (26 bytes)