How is the PKCS.7 certificate different from X.509?
Am I correct calling file with .p7b file extension saved as 'Cryptographic Message Syntax Standard - PKCS#7 Certificates (.P7B)' in Windows - a 'PKCS#7 certificate'? Or is it better called 'X.509 certificate saved in PKCS#7 format'? When would one choose one certificate format over another? Do these formats have any particular strengths or weaknesses? Adding this question after my first two edits. How is PKCS#7 format different compared to DER/PEM file formats?
PKCS.7 can be thought of as a format that allows multiple certificates to be bundled together, either DER- or PEM- encoded, and may include certificates and certificate revocation lists (CRLs).
Per RFC2315, PKCS#7 isa general syntax for data that may have cryptography applied to it, such as digital signatures and digital envelopes. The syntax admits recursion, so that, for example, one envelope can be nested inside another, or one party can sign some previously enveloped digital data.