| Internet-Draft | Format updates | April 2024 |
| Hoffman | Expires 13 October 2024 | [Page] |
draft-rswg-rfc7990-updates, the successor to RFC 7990, defines the definitive version of an RFC as a published RFC with is in RFCXML. It defines publication versions of the RFC as published RFCs in the publication formats such as PDF, plain text, and HTML. draft-rswg-xml2rfcv3-implemented is updating the specification for the RFCXML format.¶
This document updates some of the publication formats, specifically updating RFC 7992, RFC 7994, RFC 7995, and RFC 8153. Because RFC 7990 mentions some of the features of the publication formats, this document also updates RFC 7990.¶
There is a repository for this draft at https://github.com/paulehoffman/pub-format-updates.¶
This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.¶
Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet-Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.¶
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This Internet-Draft will expire on 13 October 2024.¶
Copyright (c) 2024 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the document authors. All rights reserved.¶
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document.¶
This document updates the RFCs that define the publication formats for RFCs in plain-text and HTML formats. It updates "HTML Format for RFCs" ([RFC7992]), "Requirements for Plain-Text RFCs" ([RFC7994]), and two documents about the PDF format, "PDF Format for RFCs" ([RFC7995]) and "Digital Preservation Considerations for the RFC Series" ([RFC8153]).¶
Future versions of this draft might also update "Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Requirements for RFCs" ([RFC7993]), "SVG Drawings for RFCs: SVG 1.2 RFC" ([RFC7996]), and "'xml2rfc' Version 3 Preparation Tool Description" ([RFC7998]), but does not do so yet.¶
Because [RFC7990] mentions some of the features of the publication, this document also updates [RFC7990].¶
It is important to note that this document does not update [I-D.rswg-xml2rfcv3-implemented]. That is, this document updates only some of the publication formats for RFCs, not the definitive format (RFCXML).¶
This document updates [RFC7995] and [RFC8153] by changing the requirement from using the PDF/A-3 standard to using the PDF/A standard, and by dropping the requirement that the XML be embedded in the PDF publication version. Other parts of [RFC8153], particularly the need to archive metadata about RFCs, are not changed.¶
This document significantly changes Section 6 of [RFC7992] to say that the front matter will contain significantly more information than is specified in [RFC7992]. In specific, the HTML will include the metadata currently visible in the "HTMLized" version of RFCs seen in the IETF Datatracker. This includes links to the following:¶
The Datatracker page for the RFC¶
Errata for the RFC¶
How to report errata for the RFC¶
The Datatracker page(s) for the author(s) of the RFC¶
It will also include a link to the Datatracker page for the draft that became the RFC, links to including earlier versions of that draft, and the ability to comapre earlier version of the RFC with the RFC and with each other.¶
JavaScript ... may, on a limited basis, add additional text that provides post-publication metadata or pointers if warranted. All such text will be clearly marked as additional.¶
This is updated to say:¶
JavaScript ... may add text that provides post-publication metadata or pointers.¶
Section 4.3 of [RFC7994] says:¶
Each line must be limited to 72 characters followed by the character sequence that denotes an end-of-line (EOL).¶
This document updates that limit to 100 characters for tables and figures (such as examples, blocks of code, ASCII art, and so on). The primary reason for this update is that the 72-character limit forced document authors to constrain the figures they use. With a wider maximum line limit, those authors can construct more accurate and more useful examples, and thus improve the quality of the RFC Series. The RPC will still wrap headings and lines of running text at 72 characters.¶
Note that the 72-character limit was imposed when RFCs were all in the plain-text format and commonly printed on printers with an 80-character line limit. Printing from the plain-text format of modern RFCs happens tremendously less often than earlier. Even in cases where someone prints a plain-text publication format RFC with lines longer than what that can fit on the page, the reader will immediately see the problem and can instead read from the HTML or PDF format for the same RFC.¶
One plain-text output will be created during the publication process with basic pagination that includes a form feed instruction every 58 lines at most, including blank lines.¶
This document updates that to say:¶
The plain-text output will be created during the publication process with no pagination.¶
The RPC has not been paginating the text output of RFCs since when it started issuing the three publication formats, so this change does not affect the operation of the RPC, and simply reflects reality.¶
This document has no IANA considerations.¶
Changing the formats for publication versions of RFCs is not expected to cause any security issues.¶
This document is inspired by many suggestions from many people in the RSWG.¶