[Idna-update] FWD: Unicode IDNA2008 generated tables and release notifications

[John C Klensin <[e-mail]>]

FYI, both about this database/file specifically and whatever it might
imply for the state and future of IDN (and maybe i18n generally) work
in the IETF.  Some specifics to add to Asmus's comments...

As far as I can tell, these Idna2008.txt files started only with
Unicode 17.  If there are earlier versions, I could not find them.

I have not attempted to verify this against RFC 9233, much less RFC
8753, neither of which they mention.   Even if we accept the
statement made to Asmus that there were no incompatible changes
introduced with Unicode 18.0, verifying this table would require
checking for incompatibilities and other changes that might require
exceptions for Unicode 13.0 through 15.0 and maybe 16 (RFC 9233 goes
only through Unicode 12.0).

If someone could do that verification and/or was confident enough
that UTC had gotten this right, we should be preparing a short update
to RFC 8753 pointing to the current UTC document at the link given by
Asmus and probably mentioning the per-version files at
https://www.unicode.org/Public/17.0.0/idna/ and
https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/idna/ and presumably similarly
for each future Unicode version.

While I'd be happy to draft such a document if the IESG can figure
out how to declare rough consensus on the accuracy of the Unicode
idna2008.txt files (I suspect a somewhat more difficult task than one
person's verification as above) _and_ either figure out how we move
forward with the checks required by RFC 8753 or that rough consensus
exists for abandoning those checks. 

I don't have the time or energy to do the Unicode version by version
comparisons and checks.  Especially given some of the reception I've
gotten lately for trying to keep IETF i18n work on some approximation
to on-track, please do not expect me to continue carrying the torch
on this sort of issue.

best,
  john






---------- Forwarded Message ---------
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026 14:13 -0700
From: Asmus Freytag <[e-mail]>
To: John C Klensin <[e-mail]>
Subject: Unicode IDNA2008 generated tables and release notifications

John,

this is a reminder to you that Unicode, as part of every release,
updates this file:

https://www.unicode.org/Public/draft/idna/Idna2008.txt

My colleagues also tell me that there were no incompatible change
driven by underlying changes in the properties that contribute to the
derivations.


 They also said that they already reached out to their
IETF contacts, but go not reaction.

In the future, there may no longer be dedicated outreach, because
this file is a regular part of the alpha or beta pre-releases and the
way to get notified of those is to subscribe to one of the Unicode
lists and set a filter.

This came up here as part of streamlining the release checklist for
Unicode releases, so I wanted to make sure that if anyone was waiting
on dedicated pings that they won't necessarily happen.

A./


---------- End Forwarded Message ----------