Internet DRAFT - draft-hoffman-rfc-format-framework-as-implemented

draft-hoffman-rfc-format-framework-as-implemented







Network Working Group                                         P. Hoffman
Internet-Draft                                                     ICANN
Obsoletes: 7991 (if approved)                             4 January 2023
Intended status: Standards Track                                        
Expires: 8 July 2023


                  RFC Format Framework As Implemented
          draft-hoffman-rfc-format-framework-as-implemented-02

Abstract

   RFC 7990 "serves as the framework that provides the problem
   statement, lays out a road map of the documents that capture the
   specific requirements, and describes the transition plan" for the
   format of RFCs.  The eventual implementation of the framework
   happened somewhat differently than was described in RFC 7990.  This
   document describes how the framework was, and is being, implemented.

   This document makes RFC 7991 obsolete, but does not replace it.

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 8 July 2023.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2023 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.  Code Components



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   extracted from this document must include Revised BSD License text as
   described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are
   provided without warranty as described in the Revised BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  XML Grammars  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Rendering RFCs in HTML, Plain Text, and PDF . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   6.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     6.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     6.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4

1.  Introduction

   [RFC7990], published in December 2016, defined a framework for how
   RFCs would be published in the future, including new formats and a
   new canonical format for archiving RFCs.  The first RFC to be
   published using the framework was [RFC8651], published in October
   2019.  In the time since then, the new framework has been applied to
   all published RFCs.

   The implementation of the framework did not go completely as planned.
   The canonical format changed many times between the publication of
   [RFC7991] and now, and is expected to change more times in the
   future.  Similarly, the software used to generate the non-canonical
   HTML, plain text, and PDF formats also changed during that time.
   This document describes how the RFC format framework was actually
   implemented.

   This document also obsoletes [RFC7991], but does not replace it.
   Instead, this document describes the expected progression to version
   4 of the XML grammar and semantics.

2.  XML Grammars

   The RFC Editor has changed the XML v3 grammar and semantics used to
   generate RFCs many times since the publication of [RFC7991].  In
   fact, no RFC that was published using the [RFC7990] framework exactly
   followed the [RFC7991] grammar.








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   Because of this lack of adherence to [RFC7991] in the current RFC
   series, [RFC7991] is declared obsolete.  There is no RFC yet that
   replaces it.  The decision to obsolete [RFC7991] is based on a
   discussion from the RFC Series Working Group
   https://datatracker.ietf.org/rfcedtyp/rswg/about/
   (https://datatracker.ietf.org/rfcedtyp/rswg/about/) (RSWG).

   The RSWG might update the now-obsoleted grammar from [RFC7991] and
   still call that "version 3".  If the RSWG changes the v3 grammar, it
   will only do so in a way that is backwards compatible with all RFCs
   published using the current framework; that is, the currently
   published RFCs must be able to be valid with the new grammar.  The
   semantics associated with the version 3 grammar may change as well.

   The RSWG is discussing what would go into a XML v4 grammar.  The
   result of that discussion may become a RFC in the Editorial stream of
   RFCs.  The v4 grammar is unlikely to be backwards compatible with the
   grammar in [RFC7991].  Similarly, the semantics for the v4 grammar is
   unlikely to be backwards compatible with the semantics in [RFC7991].

   The XML grammars that were used between the publication of [RFC7991]
   and the eventual publication of the v4 grammar are cataloged at
   https://authors.ietf.org/ (https://authors.ietf.org/). [[ EDITOR'S
   NOTE: the above statement is currently false.  They are currently
   cataloged at https://github.com/rfc-format/v3grammar
   (https://github.com/rfc-format/v3grammar), ]]

   [[ EDITOR'S NOTE: The grammar published as
   https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-irse-draft-irse-
   xml2rfcv3-implemented/ (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-irse-
   draft-irse-xml2rfcv3-implemented/). should be the basis of the
   grammars stored in the new catalog. ]]

3.  Rendering RFCs in HTML, Plain Text, and PDF

   The rendering of the non-canonical formats evolved after the initial
   implementation of the framework.  Thus, accessing the files for the
   non-canonical formats would get different results over time.  The
   rendering is expected to continue to change in the future.

4.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no IANA considerations.

5.  Security Considerations

   This document introduces no new security considerations.




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6.  References

6.1.  Normative References

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

6.2.  Informative References

   [RFC7991]  Hoffman, P., "The "xml2rfc" Version 3 Vocabulary",
              RFC 7991, DOI 10.17487/RFC7991, December 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7991>.

   [RFC8651]  Cheng, B., Wiggins, D., and L. Berger, Ed., "Dynamic Link
              Exchange Protocol (DLEP) Control-Plane-Based Pause
              Extension", RFC 8651, DOI 10.17487/RFC8651, October 2019,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8651>.

Author's Address

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



























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