Subject: [newtrk] XML form to HTML/RSS with Errata and Status links

From: Douglas Otis <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 10:40:55 -0700

The ISD concept is an excellent idea.  Due to the unstable nature of
extensive dynamic references, the ISD could originate from an XML
structure (converted to text for archival purposes), but where the
normal published form would be HTML/RSS.  This could save revision
efforts when creating a document primarily comprised of evolving
references.  The RSS feed would also allow those interested, to know
when the related standard has changed without using email lists.

The editorial comments could be isolated to Errata and Status documents,
linked within the main ISD HTML reference.  A minimum amount of review
would be needed to establish which drafts comprise a standard, to help
expedite this process.  The Errata and and Status information could be
considered transitory information updated frequently, independently from
the associated drafts.  This approach is already taken for individual
draft errata, and could be extended to include an ISD Status.  Although
much of this information is available after some effort, obtaining the
status, such as adoption and usage, of a general standard would be
desirable new information.

The current process for finding a significant document requires
searching through a list and looking for keyword instances.  This is
true for the 100 series RFCs, the RFC database, or the RFC index, but
where the individual status of a document must then be checked.  SMTP
would be an example of multiple significant documents.  Currently there
is also no direct link to the errata.  This HTML document structure adds
Status and Errata links, to provide an overview of current ISD usage and
individual draft corrections.  However, this XML ISD structure would be
useful without information initially returned by the Status or the
Errata link.  Over time, information for these links could be added as
an independent file, or produced as an auto-generated HTTP response from
a database.

The intent of this example is to illustrate how this effort could take
place initially as an extension to the current IETF website.  Here is
where the basic ISD XML document would be viewed primarily in HTML/RSS
form.  Rather than making a traditional text document, the ISD draft
would be an XML template that generates the following HTML/RSS
structures.  This associates related RFCs with a minimal amount of
editorial comment, and makes generating these links for presenting these
documents easier.

The editorial Status and Errata documents could be generated by way of
either an HTML page, or an HTTP parameter (to keep the errata practice
unchanged) by automating the specific link.  Auto generated Status and
Errata documents would also reduce support efforts, and allow including
links ahead of there being associated information available.  This would
facilitate ongoing efforts that endeavor to provide topical information.

-------------------- partial rss list
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>ISD Index</title>
<DEFANGED_link>http://isd.ietf.org/</link>
<description>Internet Standards Documentation.</description>
<language>en-us</language>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2005 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2005 09:41:01 GMT</lastBuildDate>
<docs>http://www.ietf.org/isd/</docs>
<generator>IETF Editor 2.0</generator>
<managingEditor>[email-masked]</managingEditor>
<webMaster>[email-masked]</webMaster>
<item>
<title>ISD xxxx: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, SMTP</title>
<DEFANGED_link>http://isd.ietf.org/isd/isd-smtp.html</link>
<description>Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, SMTP
href="http://isd.ietf.org/ids/isd-xxxx-smtp.html">SMTP</a>;.</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://isd.ietf.org/ids/isd-xxxx-smtp.html#item01</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>ISD xxxx: POP/IMAP Authentication with CRAM-MD5, CRAM-MD5</title>
<DEFANGED_link>http://isd.ietf.org/isd/isd-cram-md5.html</link>
<description>POP/IMAP Authentication with CRAM-MD5, SMTP
href="http://isd.ietf.org/ids/isd-xxxx-cram-md5.html">CRAM-MD5</a>;.</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>http://isd.ietf.org/ids/isd-xxxx-cram-md5.html#item01</guid>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>

----------------- generic redirecting link
isd-smtp.html:

<html>
<head>
<title>Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, SMTP</title>
<DEFANGED_META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh"
      CONTENT="5; URL=isd-xxxx-smtp.html">
</head>
<body>
<blockquote>
If your browser doesn't automatically redirect to
the latest version, click <a href="isd-xxxx-smtp.html">here</a>.
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>

------------------- current specific isd document
isd-xxxx-smtp.html:

<html>
<head>
<DEFANGED_meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<base href="http://isd.ieft.org/">
<title>ISD xxxx: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, SMTP</title>
</head>
<body>
<div id="Documents making up the Standard, STD10">
<h1><a href="http://isd.ietf.org/">Internet Standards
Documentation</a></h1>
<p DEFANGED_STYLE="font-weight: bold;"> xxxx: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol,
SMTP,
STD10&nbsp; <a href="http://isd.ietf.org/isd/isd-status.html?
isd=smtp">Status</a><br>
</p>
</div>
<div>
<span></span><a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt">RFC2821
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, SMTP</a> <a
href="http://www.rfc-editor.org/errata/errata.html?rfc=2821">Errata</a>
<br>
<br>
<span DEFANGED_STYLE="font-weight: bold;">Extensions </span><br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3463.txt">RFC3463 Enhanced Mail
System
Status Codes</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3848.txt">RFC3848 ESMTP and LMTP
Transmission Types Registration</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1652.txt">RFC1652 SMTP Service
Extension
for 8bit-MIME transport</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1870.txt">RFC1870 SMTP Service
Extension for Message Size Declaration</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2920.txt">RFC2920 SMTP Service
Extension for Command Pipelining</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2034.txt">RFC2034 SMTP Service
Extension for Returning Enhanced Error Codes</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2554.txt">RFC2554 SMTP Service
Extension for Authentication</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3207.txt">RFC3207 SMTP Service
Extension for Secure SMTP over Transport Layer Security</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3030.txt">RFC3030 SMTP Service
Extensions for Transmission of Large and Binary MIME Messages</a> <a
href="http://www.rfc-editor.org/errata/errata.html?
rfc=3030">Errata</a><br>
<span><br>
<span DEFANGED_STYLE="font-weight: bold;">Experimental</span><br>
</span><a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1830.txt">RFC1830 SMTP
Service Extensions for Transmission of Large and Binary MIME
Messages</a>
<br>
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1845.txt">RFC1845 SMTP Service
Extension for Checkpoint/Restart</a><br>
<br>
<span><span DEFANGED_STYLE="font-weight: bold;">Related ISD</span><br>
</span><a href="http://isd.ietf.org/isd/isd-smtp-dsn.html">ISD-SMTP-DSN
SMTP Delivery Status Notifications (DSN)</a>
<br>
<a href="http://isd.ietf.org/isd/isd-smtp-spam.html">ISD-SMTP-SPAM SMTP
and SPAM (SMTP-SPAM)</a>
<br>
<a href="http://isd.ietf.org/isd/isd-smtp-odrd.html">On-demand relay,
delivery, and alternatives to TURN
</a></div>
</body>
</html>

The HTML page appears as:
----------------

Internet Standards Documentation

xxxx: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, SMTP, STD10  Status

RFC2821 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, SMTP Errata

Extensions
RFC3463 Enhanced Mail System Status Codes
RFC3848 ESMTP and LMTP Transmission Types Registration
RFC1652 SMTP Service Extension for 8bit-MIME transport
RFC1870 SMTP Service Extension for Message Size Declaration
RFC2920 SMTP Service Extension for Command Pipelining
RFC2034 SMTP Service Extension for Returning Enhanced Error Codes
RFC2554 SMTP Service Extension for Authentication
RFC3207 SMTP Service Extension for Secure SMTP over Transport Layer
Security
RFC3030 SMTP Service Extensions for Transmission of Large and Binary
MIME Messages Errata

Experimental
RFC1830 SMTP Service Extensions for Transmission of Large and Binary
MIME Messages
RFC1845 SMTP Service Extension for Checkpoint/Restart

Related ISD
ISD-SMTP-DSN SMTP Delivery Status Notifications (DSN)
ISD-SMTP-SPAM SMTP and SPAM (SMTP-SPAM)
ISD-SMTP-ODRD On-demand relay, delivery, and alternatives to TURN (ODRD)

-Doug
.
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