How is the concept of "content negotiation" called outside the HTTP context?

Question

What are different terms for "content negotiation" (when not talking about HTTP)?

For example: some (remote or local) services, components, modules, are negotiating about which protocol to use and/or which content type to exchange.

Service provider

• About the content:
  • What I am very good at, is providing apples.
  • I am also able to provide bananas, but it takes me more time.
  • I am also able to provide oranges, but their quality is not always OK.
• About the protocol:
  • I can bring the fruits to you in a plastic bag.
  • Alternatively, I can throw it in your direction. It's faster, but some fruits may get lost.

Service consumer

• I need some fruits.
• Bananas are OK, but apples would be great!
• I need them now!
• Some may get lost.

Now, after using some negotiation protocol, the provider and the user decide that the optimal solution for them would be: "the provider throws to the consumer some apples".

I hope you like my example ;)

So, what are better suited terms for what I am looking for?

Answer 1

I would call this process, generically, "negotiation". That is the best word I know of in industry. I'd call this process a part of the broader protocol handshake and negotiation phase.