In <411AB496(_dot_)8080307(_at_)erols(_dot_)com> Bruce Lilly
<blilly(_at_)erols(_dot_)com> writes:
The IESG wrote:
- 'The APPLICATION/MBOX Media-Type '
<draft-hall-mime-app-mbox-02.txt> as a Proposed Standard
The draft mentions that "some form of external
negotiation or prior agreement is often necessary in order to
ensure that the contents of the database are accurately read by
messaging systems on other hosts".
MIME provides for such mechanisms via the Content-Type field
parameters. It would appear to be desirable to define at least
two parameter attributes for use with this media type, viz. one
defining the separator between messages (perhaps as a regular
expression), and another defining the line-ending sequence in use
(defaulting to CRLF).
Yes, there are many ways that such parameters could be used to indicate
the conventions used in the construction of that particular mbox file.
This proposal needs to be sent back for further consideration, either by a
WG, or at least by some mailing list of those with knowledge of the
format.
It has just missed too many opportunities, including the opportunity to
document the mbox format once and for all (and warts and all).
--
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
Email: chl(_at_)clerew(_dot_)man(_dot_)ac(_dot_)uk Snail: 5 Clerewood Ave,
CHEADLE, SK8 3JU, U.K.
PGP: 2C15F1A9 Fingerprint: 73 6D C2 51 93 A0 01 E7 65 E8 64 7E 14 A4 AB A5