ihave/sendme syntax (was: draft-allbery-usefor-usepro-00 errata)

[Russ Allbery <[e-mail]>]

Russ Allbery <[e-mail]> writes:

>  * We need some resolution of the different conflicting syntaxes for ihave
>    and sendme control messages.  Path of least resistance is probably to
>    revert to the current USEPRO tactic of two separate ABNFs.

I've since reviewed RFC 1036 and Son-of-1036.  The former makes the
relayer name optional and requires that the message IDs be in the control
header field.  The latter makes the relayer name mandatory and RECOMMENDS
that the message IDs be put in the body.  I think the following is the
most reasonable compromise; it makes the relayer-name mandatory if there
are no message IDs (the form never allowed in RFC 1036 but according to
Son-of-1036 the most widely used in practice), and if there are message
IDs, permits the same syntax as RFC 1036.

Let me know if anything looks wrong.

   ihave and sendme control messages share similar syntax for their
   Control header fields and bodies:

       control-command     =/ Ihave-command
       Ihave-command       = "ihave" Ihave-arguments
       Ihave-arguments     = 1*WSP relayer-name
                             / 1*( 1*WSP msg-id ) [ 1*WSP relayer-name ]
       control-command     =/ Sendme-command
       Sendme-command      = "sendme" Sendme-arguments
       Sendme-arguments    = Ihave-arguments
       relayer-name        = path-identity  ; see 3.1.5 of [USEFOR]
       ihave-body          = *( msg-id CRLF )
       sendme-body         = ihave-body

   The body of the article consists of a list of <msg-id>s, one per
   line.  The message identifiers SHOULD be put in the body of the
   article, not in the Control header field, but news servers MAY
   recognize and process message identifiers in the Control header field
   for backward compatibility.  Message identifiers MUST NOT be put in
   the Control header field if they are present in the body of the
   control message.

-- 
Russ Allbery ([e-mail])             <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>