From: Keith Moore <moore(_at_)cs(_dot_)utk(_dot_)edu>
Subject: Re: MIME compression mechanism
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 12:00:12 -0400
Even though "gzip64" seems inelegant, it is a better "fit" into
MIME than trying to define a new mechanism which separates encoding
from compression.
O.K. I change my mind. So, let's discuss defining a new value for CTE.
One person suggested me that new semantics should be defined as well
as new values. That is, "+" (or any other proper character) can be
recognized a separator.
For example,
(1) Content-Transfer-Encoding: Base64
Almost all MIME readers can treat this value.
(2) Content-Transfer-Encoding: Base64+LZ77
New MIME readers that support new sematics interpret this value as
compressed with LZ77 algorithm and encoded with Base64
(i.e. bas64 + lz77).
This is just known value for old MIME readers.
Here are rule for this mechanism.
(rule a) Encoding value like Base64, 8bit, and etc should come first.
(rule b) The order of each token is the order of process.
(rule c) Only "7bit" is allowed for multipart and message type.
(rule d) The tokens after 7bit should be ignored.
This mechanize can easily extend like "Base64+LZ77+DES".
--Kazu