[EAI] Re: MIME questions

[Frank Ellermann <nobody at xyzzy.claranet.de>]

Charles Lindsey wrote:

>> Let's hope that nobody else tried it "successfully",
 
> For sure, RFC 2231 HAS been implemented, though possibly
> not widely.

Bruce and Kari said they did (maybe they could join
forces for a 2231-to-DS interoperability report. :-)

But what I meant above ("it") was about attempts to 
implement value sets x := {y1, y2, y3} with multiple
MIME parameters x=y1; x=y2; x=y3 because it's tricky
to use a say comma separated list in a quoted string,
if the values can be itself quoted strings.

If anybody did that (and we nearly did it in USEFOR)
in an RFC it's strictly incompatible with RFC 2231.

> Please do not use the term "message/utf-8". If used,
> it would apply only to a certain MIME mechanism

It's the message/utf-8 as outlined in the dsn-00 I-D.
It's the name of a structure almost identical with a
message/rfc822, "only" allowing UTF-8 in the header
(or more precisely as specified in the header draft.)

> as a MIME machanism it will not fly in that form,
> because it violates RFC 2045.

Nothing's wrong with the message/utf-8 MIME type as
outlined in the DSN I-D.  What's that business about
a "MIME mechanism" ?  Do you mean "MIME type" ?

> we don't know how to convert a message/utf-8 for an
> MTA that does not do 8BITMIME.

So let them put an 8BITMIME to 7bit step behind their
UTF8SMTP to 8BITMIME step.  Where 8BITMIME to 7bit is
impossible any "direct" UTF8SMTP to 7bit approach is
also impossible.  

UTF8SMTP can completely ignore 7bit because it builds
on 8BITMIME.

> Utf8headers is now thought to be almost ready for WG
> Last Call.

Utf8headers is to 2822, what UTF8SMTP is to 2821.  But
Utf8headers also updating MIME is IMO too much.  We
don't have Bruce in this WG (and his proposal to join
MIME and 2822 consisted of four I-Ds).

Mailers, even if it's a gateway, forced to look into
the body of a mail (apart from finding CRLF and dots)
are in trouble.  Looking into the header is -- for a
gateway -- aceptable, but the body ?!?  It will find
crap and more crap, broken UTF-8, broken boundaries,
broken Content-* header fields, NULs, ... <shudder />

Frank



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