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author | Eduardo Chappa <chappa@washington.edu> | 2013-11-02 02:51:18 -0600 |
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committer | Eduardo Chappa <chappa@washington.edu> | 2013-11-02 02:51:18 -0600 |
commit | 7fe712882b909931088a318c08041b0e7974a000 (patch) | |
tree | 2770f9b084e2efc7fc55e96e9bf4352cf2ff33a3 /imap/docs/rfc/rfc3516.txt | |
parent | bdfc834badee92ceeb2befe02f1d065ced5b9ddf (diff) | |
download | alpine-7fe712882b909931088a318c08041b0e7974a000.tar.xz |
* Update to version 2.19.1
* Upgrade UW-IMAP to Panda IMAP from https://github.com/jonabbey/panda-imap.
* Replace tabs by spaces in From and Subject fields to control for size in
screen of these fields. Change only in index screen display.
Diffstat (limited to 'imap/docs/rfc/rfc3516.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | imap/docs/rfc/rfc3516.txt | 451 |
1 files changed, 451 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/imap/docs/rfc/rfc3516.txt b/imap/docs/rfc/rfc3516.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000..4d021975 --- /dev/null +++ b/imap/docs/rfc/rfc3516.txt @@ -0,0 +1,451 @@ + + + + + + +Network Working Group L. Nerenberg +Request for Comments: 3516 Orthanc Systems +Category: Standards Track April 2003 + + + IMAP4 Binary Content Extension + +Status of this Memo + + This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the + Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for + improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet + Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state + and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. + +Copyright Notice + + Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2003). All Rights Reserved. + +Abstract + + This memo defines the Binary extension to the Internet Message Access + Protocol (IMAP4). It provides a mechanism for IMAP4 clients and + servers to exchange message body data without using a MIME content- + transfer-encoding. + +1. Conventions Used in this Document + + The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", and "MAY" + in this document are to be interpreted as described in [KEYWORD]. + + The abbreviation "CTE" means content-transfer-encoding. + +2. Introduction + + The MIME extensions to Internet messaging allow for the transmission + of non-textual (binary) message content [MIME-IMB]. Since the + traditional transports for messaging are not always capable of + passing binary data transparently, MIME provides encoding schemes + that allow binary content to be transmitted over transports that are + not otherwise able to do so. + + The overhead of MIME-encoding this content can be considerable in + some contexts (e.g., slow radio links, streaming multimedia). + Reducing the overhead associated with CTE schemes such as base64 + + + + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 1] + +RFC 3516 IMAP4 Binary Content Extension April 2003 + + + can give a noticeable reduction in resource consumption. The Binary + extension lets the server perform CTE decoding prior to transmitting + message data to the client. + +3. Content-Transfer-Encoding Considerations + + Every IMAP4 body section has a MIME content-transfer-encoding. + (Those without an explicit Content-Transfer-Encoding header are + implicitly labeled as "7bit" content.) In the terminology of [MIME- + IMB], the CTE specifies both a decoding algorithm and the domain of + the decoded data. In this memo, "decoding" refers to the CTE + decoding step described in [MIME-IMB]. + + Certain CTEs use an identity encoding transformation. For these CTEs + there is no decoding required, however the domain of the underlying + data may not be expressible in the IMAP4 protocol (e.g., MIME + "binary" content containing NUL octets). To accommodate these cases + the Binary extension introduces a new type of literal protocol + element that is fully eight bit transparent. + + Thus, server processing of the FETCH BINARY command involves two + logical steps: + + 1) perform any CTE-related decoding + + 2) determine the domain of the decoded data + + Step 2 is necessary to determine which protocol element should be + used to transmit the decoded data. (See FETCH Response Extensions + for further details.) + +4. Framework for the IMAP4 Binary Extension + + This memo defines the following extensions to [IMAP4rev1]. + +4.1. CAPABILITY Identification + + IMAP4 servers that support this extension MUST include "BINARY" in + the response list to the CAPABILITY command. + +4.2. FETCH Command Extensions + + This extension defines three new FETCH command data items. + + BINARY<section-binary>[<partial>] + + Requests that the specified section be transmitted after + performing CTE-related decoding. + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 2] + +RFC 3516 IMAP4 Binary Content Extension April 2003 + + + The <partial> argument, if present, requests that a subset of + the data be returned. The semantics of a partial FETCH BINARY + command are the same as for a partial FETCH BODY command, with + the exception that the <partial> arguments refer to the DECODED + section data. + + BINARY.PEEK<section-binary>[<partial>] + + An alternate form of FETCH BINARY that does not implicitly set + the \Seen flag. + + BINARY.SIZE<section-binary> + + Requests the decoded size of the section (i.e., the size to + expect in response to the corresponding FETCH BINARY request). + + Note: client authors are cautioned that this might be an + expensive operation for some server implementations. + Needlessly issuing this request could result in degraded + performance due to servers having to calculate the value every + time the request is issued. + +4.3. FETCH Response Extensions + + This extension defines two new FETCH response data items. + + BINARY<section-binary>[<<number>>] + + An <nstring> or <literal8> expressing the content of the + specified section after removing any CTE-related encoding. If + <number> is present it refers to the offset within the DECODED + section data. + + If the domain of the decoded data is "8bit" and the data does + not contain the NUL octet, the server SHOULD return the data in + a <string> instead of a <literal8>; this allows the client to + determine if the "8bit" data contains the NUL octet without + having to explicitly scan the data stream for for NULs. + + If the server does not know how to decode the section's CTE, it + MUST fail the request and issue a "NO" response that contains + the "UNKNOWN-CTE" extended response code. + + + + + + + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 3] + +RFC 3516 IMAP4 Binary Content Extension April 2003 + + + BINARY.SIZE<section-binary> + + The size of the section after removing any CTE-related + encoding. The value returned MUST match the size of the + <nstring> or <literal8> that will be returned by the + corresponding FETCH BINARY request. + + If the server does not know how to decode the section's CTE, it + MUST fail the request and issue a "NO" response that contains + the "UNKNOWN-CTE" extended response code. + +4.4. APPEND Command Extensions + + The APPEND command is extended to allow the client to append data + containing NULs by using the <literal8> syntax. The server MAY + modify the CTE of the appended data, however any such transformation + MUST NOT result in a loss of data. + + If the destination mailbox does not support the storage of binary + content, the server MUST fail the request and issue a "NO" response + that contains the "UNKNOWN-CTE" extended response code. + +5. MIME Encoded Headers + + [MIME-MHE] defines an encoding that allows for non-US-ASCII text in + message headers. This encoding is not the same as the content- + transfer-encoding applied to message bodies, and the decoding + transformations described in this memo do not apply to [MIME-MHE] + encoded header text. A server MUST NOT perform any conversion of + [MIME-MHE] encoded header text in response to any binary FETCH or + APPEND request. + +6. Implementation Considerations + + Messaging clients and servers have been notoriously lax in their + adherence to the Internet CRLF convention for terminating lines of + textual data in Internet protocols. When sending data using the + Binary extension, servers MUST ensure that textual line-oriented + sections are always transmitted using the IMAP4 CRLF line termination + syntax, regardless of the underlying storage representation of the + data on the server. + + A server may choose to store message body binary content in a non- + encoded format. Regardless of the internal storage representation + used, the server MUST issue BODYSTRUCTURE responses that describe the + message as though the binary-encoded sections are encoded in a CTE + + + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 4] + +RFC 3516 IMAP4 Binary Content Extension April 2003 + + + acceptable to the IMAP4 base specification. Furthermore, the results + of a FETCH BODY MUST return the message body content in the format + described by the corresponding FETCH BODYSTRUCTURE response. + + While the server is allowed to modify the CTE of APPENDed <literal8> + data, this should only be done when it is absolutely necessary. + Gratuitous encoding changes will render useless most cryptographic + operations that have been performed on the message. + + This extension provides an optimization that is useful in certain + specific situations. It does not absolve clients from providing + basic functionality (content transfer decoding) that should be + available in all messaging clients. Clients supporting this + extension SHOULD be prepared to perform their own CTE decoding + operations. + +7. Formal Protocol Syntax + + The following syntax specification uses the augmented Backus-Naur + Form (ABNF) notation as used in [ABNF], and incorporates by reference + the Core Rules defined in that document. + + This syntax augments the grammar specified in [IMAP4rev1]. + + append =/ "APPEND" SP mailbox [SP flag-list] + [SP date-time] SP literal8 + + fetch-att =/ "BINARY" [".PEEK"] section-binary [partial] + / "BINARY.SIZE" section-binary + + literal8 = "~{" number "}" CRLF *OCTET + ; <number> represents the number of OCTETs + ; in the response string. + + msg-att-static =/ "BINARY" section-binary SP (nstring / literal8) + / "BINARY.SIZE" section-binary SP number + + partial = "<" number "." nz-number ">" + + resp-text-code =/ "UNKNOWN-CTE" + + section-binary = "[" [section-part] "]" + + + + + + + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 5] + +RFC 3516 IMAP4 Binary Content Extension April 2003 + + +8. Normative References + + [ABNF] Crocker, D., Editor, and P. Overell, "Augmented BNF for + Syntax Specifications: ABNF", RFC 2234, November 1997. + + [IMAP4rev1] Crispin, M., "Internet Message Access Protocol Version + 4rev1", RFC 3501, March 2003. + + [KEYWORD] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate + Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997. + + [MIME-IMB] Freed, N. and N. Borenstein, "Multipurpose Internet Mail + Extensions (MIME) Part One: Format of Internet Message + Bodies", RFC 2045, November 1996. + + [MIME-MHE] Moore, K., "MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) + Part Three: Message Header Extensions for Non-ASCII + Text", RFC 2047, November 1996. + +9. Security Considerations + + There are no known additional security issues with this extension + beyond those described in the base protocol described in [IMAP4rev1]. + +10. Intellectual Property + + The IETF takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any + intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to + pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in + this document or the extent to which any license under such rights + might or might not be available; neither does it represent that it + has made any effort to identify any such rights. Information on the + IETF's procedures with respect to rights in standards-track and + standards-related documentation can be found in BCP-11. Copies of + claims of rights made available for publication and any assurances of + licenses to be made available, or the result of an attempt made to + obtain a general license or permission for the use of such + proprietary rights by implementors or users of this specification can + be obtained from the IETF Secretariat. + + The IETF invites any interested party to bring to its attention any + copyrights, patents or patent applications, or other proprietary + rights which may cover technology that may be required to practice + this standard. Please address the information to the IETF Executive + Director. + + + + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 6] + +RFC 3516 IMAP4 Binary Content Extension April 2003 + + +11. Author's Address + + Lyndon Nerenberg + Orthanc Systems + 1606 - 10770 Winterburn Road + Edmonton, Alberta + Canada T5S 1T6 + + EMail: lyndon@orthanc.ab.ca + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 7] + +RFC 3516 IMAP4 Binary Content Extension April 2003 + + +12. Full Copyright Statement + + Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2003). All Rights Reserved. + + This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to + others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it + or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published + and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any + kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are + included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this + document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing + the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other + Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of + developing Internet standards in which case the procedures for + copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must be + followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than + English. + + The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be + revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns. + + This document and the information contained herein is provided on an + "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING + TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING + BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION + HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF + MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Acknowledgement + + Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the + Internet Society. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Nerenberg Standards Track [Page 8] + |