Updates to RFC Publication Formats
draft-hoffman-pub-format-updates-01

Network Working Group                                         P. Hoffman
Internet-Draft                                                     ICANN
Updates: 7990, 7992, 7994, 7995, 8153 (if                  11 April 2024
         approved)                                                      
Intended status: Informational                                          
Expires: 13 October 2024

                   Updates to RFC Publication Formats
                  draft-hoffman-pub-format-updates-01

Abstract

   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
   (https://github.com/paulehoffman/pub-format-updates).

Status of This Memo

   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/.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 13 October 2024.

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Copyright Notice

   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.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  PDF Publication Format  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     2.1.  Move Requirement from PDF/A-3 to PDF/A  . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  HTML Publication Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.1.  Additional Information about an RFC . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.2.  JavaScript  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Plain Text Publication Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     4.1.  Line Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     4.2.  Pagination  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   5.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   7.  Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   8.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     8.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     8.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6

1.  Introduction

   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].

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   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).

2.  PDF Publication Format

2.1.  Move Requirement from PDF/A-3 to PDF/A

   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.

3.  HTML Publication Format

3.1.  Additional Information about an RFC

   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.

3.2.  JavaScript

   Section 2 of [RFC7992] says:

      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:

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      JavaScript ... may add text that provides post-publication
      metadata or pointers.

4.  Plain Text Publication Format

4.1.  Line Length

   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.

4.2.  Pagination

   Secton 4 of [RFC7994] says:

      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.

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5.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no IANA considerations.

6.  Security Considerations

   Changing the formats for publication versions of RFCs is not expected
   to cause any security issues.

7.  Acknowledgments

   This document is inspired by many suggestions from many people in the
   RSWG.

8.  References

8.1.  Normative References

   [RFC7990]  Flanagan, H., "RFC Format Framework", RFC 7990,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC7990, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7990>.

   [RFC7992]  Hildebrand, J., Ed. and P. Hoffman, "HTML Format for
              RFCs", RFC 7992, DOI 10.17487/RFC7992, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7992>.

   [RFC7994]  Flanagan, H., "Requirements for Plain-Text RFCs",
              RFC 7994, DOI 10.17487/RFC7994, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7994>.

   [RFC7995]  Hansen, T., Ed., Masinter, L., and M. Hardy, "PDF Format
              for RFCs", RFC 7995, DOI 10.17487/RFC7995, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7995>.

   [RFC8153]  Flanagan, H., "Digital Preservation Considerations for the
              RFC Series", RFC 8153, DOI 10.17487/RFC8153, April 2017,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8153>.

8.2.  Informative References

   [I-D.rswg-xml2rfcv3-implemented]
              Levine, J. R. and P. E. Hoffman, "The "xml2rfc" version 3
              Vocabulary as Implemented", Work in Progress, Internet-
              Draft, draft-rswg-xml2rfcv3-implemented-03, 3 March 2024,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-rswg-
              xml2rfcv3-implemented-03>.

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   [RFC7993]  Flanagan, H., "Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Requirements
              for RFCs", RFC 7993, DOI 10.17487/RFC7993, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7993>.

   [RFC7996]  Brownlee, N., "SVG Drawings for RFCs: SVG 1.2 RFC",
              RFC 7996, DOI 10.17487/RFC7996, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7996>.

   [RFC7998]  Hoffman, P. and J. Hildebrand, ""xml2rfc" Version 3
              Preparation Tool Description", RFC 7998,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC7998, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7998>.

Author's Address

   Paul Hoffman
   ICANN
   Email: paul.hoffman@icann.org

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