Re: [openpgp] Tag indicating a MIME content

[Daniel Kahn Gillmor <[e-mail]>]

On Thu 2016-07-07 04:14:17 -0400, Werner Koch <[e-mail]> wrote:

> I recall that an indication for a MIME content has been proposed many
> years ago but might have been forgotten.  Thus I propose this small
> change for 4880bis:
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> diff --git a/middle.mkd b/middle.mkd
> index 033f11f..5519be3 100644
> --- a/middle.mkd
> +++ b/middle.mkd
> @@ -2156,7 +2156,8 @@ ## {5.9} Literal Data Packet (Tag 11)
>      may need line ends converted to local form, or other text-mode
>      changes.  The tag 'u' (0x75) means the same as 't', but also
>      indicates that implementation believes that the literal data
> -    contains UTF-8 text.
> +    contains UTF-8 text.  If it is a 'm' (0x6d), then it contains a
> +    MIME message body part [](#RFC2045).
>  
>      Early versions of PGP also defined a value of 'l' as a 'local'
>      mode for machine-local conversions.  RFC 1991 [](#RFC1991)
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
>
> MIME has several advantages: Interpretation of the plaintext can be done
> without considering the context (e.g. part of a PGP/MIME message or
> standalone).  The encoding of the message can be described without
> resorting to the unprotected armor header.

<nohats>

I support this proposal.

Should we also be deprecating 't' in favor of 'u' now that UTF-8 support
is ubiquitous, and charset munging can be problematic?

   --dkg