ietf-smime
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Re: I-D ACTION:draft-ietf-smime-escertid-00.txt

2006-04-03 12:14:02

On Apr 3, 2006, at 8:30 AM, Russ Housley wrote:
I do not see a way to use this syntax and say that the parameters are absent. I prefer absent to NULL.

Now we get back into the "Great Algorithm Identifier Parameters Debate of 1997" where we discuss the merits of NULL vs. absent for algorithm identifiers. Early implementations looking for SHA-1 as an AlgorithmIdentifier expected NULL as parameters also.

So despite the personal preference (which I think influenced some of this discussion in CMS and MSG), the old school practice with AlgorithmIdentifiers was "NULL for parameters".

Blake
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