I would like to propose the following change to RFC1738, Uniform Resource
Locators (URL), (p.12):
3.5 MAILTO
The mailto URL scheme can be used to designate part or all of an
internet mail message. As
a minimum the mailto URL must designate the internet mail address of an
individual or service.
However, other mail message components such as a subject and a simple
message body can also be
specified.
A mailto URL takes the form:
mailto:<rfc822-addr-spec>[# (*msg_element | subject)]
; '#' separates the minimum form from all mailto messsage elements
msg_element = (to_element | cc_element | subject_element |
body_element | x_element) [*msg_element]
subject = *text
to_element = "TO="<rfc822-addr-spec>
cc_element = "CC="<rfc822-addr-spec>
subject_element = "SUBJECT="*text
body_element = "BODY="*text
x_element = "X-"<element name>"="<defined by extension type> ;
local extension
(Where body is a text string to be placed as the message body. This
could be used for
automatic mailing list subscription.)
where <rfc822-addr-spec> is (the encoding of an) addr-spec, as
specified in RFC822. Within
mailto URLs, the '#' character is used as a special marker between the
minimum mailto form
and one with additional message elements.
Note that the percent sign ('%') and the pound sign ('#') can appear in
RFC822 addresses and
must be encoded.
Unlike many URLs, the mailto scheme does not represent a data object to
be accessed directly,
but a mailto URL with message elements can designate a mail message
object to be created and
sent.
The following are examples of mailto URLs:
mailto:mjoseph(_at_)aac(_dot_)twg(_dot_)com
mailto:mjoseph(_at_)aac(_dot_)twg(_dot_)com#Weekly%20status%20report
mailto:mjoseph(_at_)aac(_dot_)twg(_dot_)com#SUBJECT=Weekly%20status%20report+CC=marks(_dot_)boss@aac.twg.com
mailto:URL-mailing-list(_at_)abc(_dot_)edu#SUBJECT=Add%20me%20mailing%20list+BODY=subscribe
mailto:abc%23def%25dcd(_at_)abc(_dot_)com#Hi ; example of # and %
encodings
____________________________
Mark K. Joseph
Advanced Applications Center
The Wollongong Group. Inc.
(408) - 469 -1854
mailto:izzy(_at_)aac(_dot_)twg(_dot_)com