Re: [Ltru] 2.1: casing

I think a fix is needed in 4.5 to make the following paragraph consistent with 2.1:

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When performing canonicalization of language tags, processors MAY regularize the case of the subtags (that is, this process is OPTIONAL), following the case used in the registry. Note that this corresponds to the following casing rules: uppercase all non-initial two-letter subtags; titlecase all non-initial four-letter subtags; lowercase everything else.

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While we’re there, I’d move the parenthetic comment in the first sentence:

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When performing canonicalization of language tags, processors MAY regularize the case of the subtags following the case used in the registry (that is, this process is OPTIONAL). Note that this corresponds to the following casing rules: uppercase all non-initial two-letter subtags; titlecase all non-initial four-letter subtags; lowercase everything else.

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Or perhaps you can delete the parenthetic comment and use instead, “… processors MAY optionally regularize…”

Peter

From: Phillips, Addison [mailto:addison at amazon.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 11:50 AM
To: Peter Constable; LTRU Working Group
Subject: RE: [Ltru] 2.1: casing

A bit more on casing.

First, as part of a edit round, I redid the para on casing again to make it (I hope) clearer, including spelling out the fact that it includes an algorithm:

<t>Although case distinctions do not carry meaning in language tags, consistent formatting and presentation of the tags will aid users. The format of subtags in the registry is RECOMMENDED as the form to use in language tags. This format generally corresponds to the common conventions for the various ISO standards from which the subtags are derived as listed above. An implementation can reproduce this format without accessing the registry as follows: All subtags, including extension and private use subtags, use lowercase letters, with two exceptions: two-letter and four-letter subtags that neither appear at the start of the tag nor occur after singletons. Such two-letter subtags are all uppercase (as in the tags "en-CA-x-ca" or "sgn-BE-FR") and four-letter subtags are titlecase (as in the tag "az-Latn-x-latn").</t>

Peter then commented:

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Btw, I note that 3.1.3 discusses casing in registry records, and it expresses the exceptions directly in terms of script and region. I suppose that is fine for the registry but doesn’t work quite as well for tags in cases like sgn-BE-FR.

It turns out that this is sort-of okay, in that this achieves the correct result. However, the lack of linkage isn’t very helpful and the ‘Tag’ description is hopeless. To counteract this, I split out the casing rules into a new subsection of Section 2 and then refer to that in section 3.1.3. I think this is a lot cleaner and clearer.

Addison