NZB

NZB is an XML-based file format for retrieving posts from NNTP (Usenet) servers. The format was conceived by the developers of the Newzbin.com Usenet Index. NZB is effective when used with search-capable websites. These websites create NZB files out of what is needed to be downloaded. Using this concept, headers would not be downloaded hence the NZB method is quicker and more bandwidth-efficient.

Each Usenet message has a unique identifier called the "Message ID". When a some-what large file is posted to a Usenet newsgroup, it is usually divided into multiple messages (called segments or parts) each having its own Message-ID. An nzb-capable Usenet client will read the Message-ID from the NZB file, download them and decode the messages back into a binary file (usually using yEnc or Uuencode).

Using dedicated Usenet Index websites, such as Newzbin.com itself, the user is able to create an NZB by selecting a range of files that they wish to obtain from Usenet.

The following is an example of a NZB 1.0 file.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE nzb
  PUBLIC "-//newzBin//DTD NZB 1.0//EN"
         "http://www.newzbin.com/DTD/nzb/nzb-1.0.dtd">
<nzb xmlns="http://www.newzbin.com/DTD/2003/nzb">
  <file subject="Linux Debian-3.1r5-i386-binary- CD1 Lucky Strike.par2 (1/1)"
        date="1175058765" poster="Yenc@power-post.org (Lucky Strike)">
    <groups>
      <group>alt.binaries.cd.image.linux</group>
    </groups>
    <segments>
      <segment bytes="423495" number="1">b5488$4609f95d$55b3de22$8282@news.usenext.de</segment>
      <segment bytes="423450" number="2">d9f8c$4609f96d$55b3de22$8282@news.usenext.de</segment>
    <!-- ... -->
    </segments>
  </file>
  <!-- ... -->
</nzb>

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