Packet_header vs Packet_format

[Solomon Tan]

Hi all,

I have trouble understanding the difference between "packet header" and
"packet format". They both appear to do the same thing - define a header
for some data packets for TX and RX. For RX, both appear to be able to
use the Header/Payload Demux block. Yet they appear to have different
names even for the generator and parser.

E.g. Packet header uses the "Packet Header Generator" and "Packet Header
Parser" blocks to generate and parse the header respectively. On the
other hand, packet format uses "Protocol Formatter" and "Protocol
Parser" blocks.

The documentation also appears to have switched to "packet format" from
"packet header". "Header Packet Parser" was used in the documentation
for GR 3.7 in the OFDM example.
(https://www.gnuradio.org/doc/doxygen-3.7.2.1/page_packet_data.html)
However, in the newest documentation I have (from
v3.9.0.0-155-g44cd1949), "packet format" is used instead.

Why is that so? What's the difference between the two and when would one
implementation be preferred over another?

Thanks.
Cheers,
Sol