Glossary
ADatP-3
Allied Data Publication 3 (ADatP-3) sets out the rules, constructions and vocabulary for NATO message text formats.
Context
It is ratified through STANAG 5500. A message built under it can be carried as slash-delimited text or as XML, with a one-to-one mapping between the two, and the slash-delimited form is retained partly for its bandwidth advantage. In that form a message is a sequence of sets, fields inside a set are separated by slashes, and a set ends with a double slash. Position and delimiters carry the meaning, which keeps messages short and makes them easy to break. COIE vs MTF-XML compares this form with XML.
How Gridnorth handles it
Gridnorth parses character-oriented messages as input and renders them as output, so a legacy system and an XML system can receive the same message from the same confirmed record.
Last reviewed September 29, 2026