Canonical Format for RFCs
draft-hoffman-rfc7990-updates-01

Network Working Group                                         P. Hoffman
Internet-Draft                                                     ICANN
Updates: 7990 (if approved)                                9 August 2022
Intended status: Standards Track                                        
Expires: 10 February 2023

                       Canonical Format for RFCs
                    draft-hoffman-rfc7990-updates-01

Abstract

   This document updates RFC 7990 by changing the definition of the
   "canonical format" for RFCs.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on 10 February 2023.

Copyright Notice

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   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Updated Definition of "Canonical Format"  . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     5.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     5.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4

1.  Introduction

   [RFC7990] defines a framework for how RFCs would be published in the
   future, including new formats and a new canonical format for
   archiving RFCs.

   This document updates [RFC7990] in that it changes the definition of
   the canonical format for RFCs.  This document explicitly does not
   update the other documents referenced in [RFC7990].

2.  Updated Definition of "Canonical Format"

   Section 3 of [RFC7990] defines the canonical format as:

      Canonical format: the authorized, recognized, accepted, and
      archived version of the document

   That definition is the only place in [RFC7990] that uses the word
   "archived" or "archive".  [RFC6949] uses the word in a fashion
   similar to [RFC7990].  [RFC6635], the earlier model for the RFC
   Editor as a whole, says "The archive of RFC documents, any source
   documents needed to recreate the RFC documents, and any associated
   original documents (such as lists of errata, tools, and, for some
   early items, originals that are not machine readable) need to be
   secured against any kind of data storage failure."

   These definitions never explicitly state that the initial archived
   version of a document must never change.  However, some people in the
   IETF community have said that they make that assumption.  Others say
   that the archived version can change to fix XML format errors as long
   as the underlying meaning of the text does not change.

   At the time that this document is written, the RFC Editor has not
   changed the XML files for RFCs after they were published.

   The definition of "canonical format" in Section 3 of [RFC7990] is
   updated to be:

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      Canonical format: the authorized, recognized, accepted, and most
      recent archived version of the document

   Section 5 of [RFC7990] says:

      The final XML file produced by the RFC Editor will be considered
      the canonical format for RFCs; it is the lowest common denominator
      that holds all the information intended for an RFC.

   This wording does not take into account the need to change the XML
   file to fix XML errors.  XML format errors, and better design
   choices, have been discovered by the community since the first RFCs
   were published using the XML format.  In order to allow the RFC
   Editor to publish correct XML for all RFCs, Section 5 of [RFC7990] is
   updated to say:

      The XML file produced by the RFC Editor will be considered the
      canonical format for RFCs; it is the lowest common denominator
      that holds all the information intended for an RFC.  The RFC
      Editor may change the file over time to incorporate changes in the
      XML format.  The RFC Editor must also make available all earlier
      versions of the XML file.

   [[ There is no need to bikeshed how the RFC Editor will make these
   available.  They will propose a method, and the community will tell
   them if that's OK. ]]

3.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no IANA considerations.

4.  Security Considerations

   This document has the same security considerations as [RFC7990].
   Those are:

   Changing the format for RFCs involves modifying a great number of
   components to publication.  Understanding those changes and the
   implications for the entire tool chain is critical so as to avoid
   unintended bugs that would allow unintended changes to text.
   Unintended changes to text could in turn corrupt a standard,
   practice, or critical piece of information about a protocol.

5.  References

5.1.  Normative References

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

5.2.  Informative References

   [RFC6635]  Kolkman, O., Ed., Halpern, J., Ed., and IAB, "RFC Editor
              Model (Version 2)", RFC 6635, DOI 10.17487/RFC6635, June
              2012, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6635>.

   [RFC6949]  Flanagan, H. and N. Brownlee, "RFC Series Format
              Requirements and Future Development", RFC 6949,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC6949, May 2013,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6949>.

Author's Address

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

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