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 <20000206200012.L8561@lorax.whoville.leftbank.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 22:45:19 -0600
To: Ofer Inbar <cos@ne.cohesive.com>
From: Pete Resnick <presnick@qualcomm.com>
Subject: Re: whitespace in date-time
Cc: drums@cs.utk.edu
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On 2/6/00 at 8:00 PM -0500, Ofer Inbar wrote:

>>3.3. Date and Time Specification
>>
>>Date and time occur in several header fields. This section 
>>specifies the syntax for a full date and time specification. Though 
>>folding white space is permitted throughout the date-time 
>>specification, it is recommended that only a single space be used 
>>where FWS is required and no space be used where FWS is optional in 
>>the date-time specification; some older implementations may not 
>>interpret other occurrences of folding white space correctly.
>
>My fuzzy memory tells me we agreed this should be a SHOULD requirement.

I believe you are correct. That "recommended" simply needs to be 
changed to "RECOMMENDED" and it'll be fine.

>However, I do see a problem with this rule:
>[...]
>So, no FWS is *required* between the comma after day-of-week and the 
>day.  Also, no FWS i *required* at the beginning of a date-time.
>[...]
>If we don't want to change the syntax, the other alternative would 
>be to explicitly state these two exceptions to the date-time 
>whitespace rule.

That's the easiest. I can change the language to:

Though folding white space is permitted throughout the date-time 
specification and is required in certain places, it is RECOMMENDED 
that a single space be used each place FWS (whether optional or 
required) appears.

>I think changing the syntax is clearer and more elegant, but it does 
>have the effect of relegating these two ugly forms of Date: to the 
>obsolete syntax altogether. Given the tiny number of messages I 
>found with these forms, I don't think that's a problem.

I'm a little worried to make that change at this stage unless I get 
buy-in from the chair and the ADs.

pr
-- 
Pete Resnick <mailto:presnick@qualcomm.com>
Eudora Engineering - QUALCOMM Incorporated
Ph: (217)337-6377 or (858)651-4478, Fax: (858)651-1102