ietf-smtp
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Re: 2821bis: three-digit-and-crlf replies

2007-06-13 22:43:51

At 04:55 13-06-2007, Matti Aarnio wrote:
My smtp-client reply mistreatment pitfall list has:


  - SMTP server replies are not guaranteed to arrive to client
    in single network packet, single line may arrive in multiple
    network packets.
  - SMTP server may use multi-line reply (see X.X.X)
  - Multiline replies may arrive in multiple network packets
    or in a single one
  - SMTP server may reply with "unexpected" reply codes, and
    thus knowing only how to react on expected set of precise
    codes is usually worst possible implementation strategy.

The last one above is a common pitfall.

    In X.X.X of "Theory of reply codes" (sp?) do pay attention
    on the meaning of the first digit of the reply code!

That's the theory. The command-reply sequences depicts what codes to expect. The 1xx reply code is not used for SMTP.

All of those were encountered some 10 years ago in one big
and widely used workgroup communication and document management
system that has ad-hoc internet email interface .. possibly
the bugs still exist in it.

Thanks for sharing the above list.

Regards,
-sm

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