And RIPEMD-160 would be indicated how? Having length byte, text field
may well be overkill. So I'd suggest that a one byte ID with
everything in an include file makes writing code easier, and doesn't
need to change the presentation.
While four bytes might be overkill, I suspect that a single byte with only
255 possibilities (assume 0 means plaintext) may well be insufficient.
At least a word (16 bits/ 65535 possibilities) would seem more appropriate
particularly with so many varients of each (RC4-40, 56, 64, 128, ...).
Some may recall that IBM felt that one nibble was sufficient to define
all possible disk types in the CMOS in 1982 with Type 15 becoming a pointer
to an extended table and 49 eventually becomming "define your own".
A word is used in UNIX to define TCP protocols, in 1981 (RFC 793) 255
probably would have seemed adequate for that use also.
Warmly,
Padgett