The ToolTalk Document and Media Exchange Message Set can support an extensible, open-ended translation facility. The following scenario illustrates how an extensible multimedia cut and paste facility could work:
Maria opens two documents that are different media types.
Maria selects a portion of Document A and cuts the portion using the standard X-windowing cut facility.
Maria then pastes the cut portion into Document B.
Document B negotiates the transfer of the cut data with Document A.
If Document B does not understand any of the types offered by Document B, it requests a tagged media type. Document B uses the tagged media type to broadcast a ToolTalk message requesting a translation of the media type to a media type it understands.
A registered translation utility accepts the request and returns the translated version of the media type to Document B.
The paste of the translated data into Document B is performed.