Character encoding in the registration procedures draft

Martin J. Durest wrote -

> Please add [to section 2.6] something like:
>
> Character Encoding Considerations: The application for registration of
> a scheme name MUST include a discussion of the character encoding
> considerations used for the scheme. [e.g. whether the character encoding
> is based on UTF-8 as suggested in RFC [URL-GUIDELINES] [2]].

I have no problem adding a character encoding section to the registration
TEMPLATE but I don't think we can REQUIRE that it be completed in
order for registration to take place for the following reason:

Section 2.6 [should be] discussing the criteria IANA is to use when
registering non-IETF tree scheme NAMES.  Schemes registered in the IETF
tree have tighter standards applied to them.  Knowing how IMAP and FTP
and other IETF tree schemes handle encoding is more than a "big help":  It's
required in order for wide spread interoperability.

We are talking about registering scheme NAMES in this document; for
non-IETF tree schemes, the syntax of the scheme specific part of the
scheme is encouraged but not required.  If the developer of a scheme says
that the scheme specific part of the scheme is just an opaque string (the
syntax of which is known only to them) then knowing how characters are
encoded in such a string is moot:  It's opaque - we can't parse it much less display
it.  If a producer wants "vnd.bigcompany.telepathic" to interoperate then they
would be well advised to document much more than just how characters
are encoded.  That's were the guidelines document comes in.


Also by Martin J. Durest in the same message -

> A section on multilingual considerations would also be nice. If you
> want, I can provide one.

Feel free to post one to the list.

Rich Petke  ([email protected])