Re: [idn] iDNS re-chartering proposal, take 2

[Dave Crocker <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>]

At 08:16 PM 10/27/2001, Martin Duerst wrote:
>At 12:09 01/10/27 -0700, Dave Crocker wrote:
>>then encode the characters, to permit their transmission and storage 
>>within existing DNS mechanisms.  Hence this enhancement to the DNS 
>>involves only end-user software.  In particular software that needs to be 
>>changed is restricted to:  Human DNS input and output modules.
>
>Please be careful here. Assume somebody has software that allows to
>find all domain names with the string 'FOO' in it, where 'FOO' isn't
>necessarily a full label. Now assume this software should work with
>idns, too. Can we do that by just changing the input module
>(e.g. we just encoded 'FOO' as ace? We can't.

actually, I think we can.  the software doing the searching might not be a 
human, but it's place in the overall DNS system is the same place as human 
users.  That is, in the user agent, not the DNS infrastructure.

>Also, assume that a protocol specifies that domain names be in
>UTF-8 (or something else), or that a program decides to use
>Unicode internally.

I think you are confusing what goes on inside a random user program with 
what goes on inside the DNS.

>>    [[[  Question:  Why must we discuss writing order at all?  /Dave   ]]]
>
>The problem Eric has mentioned is one problem, but actually the easier
>one. The sequence of labels is something anyone can get used to.

If the DNS software CREATED strings, then making sure characters were in 
the correct order would make sense.

However the strings are created outside of DNS.  The only thing the DNS 
system must do is PRESERVE that order.


>>The Action Item(s) for the Working Group are:
>
>What's the difference between
>
>"Working Group action items are:" and
>"The Action Item(s) for the Working Group are:"

Fewer characters...

>>Goal & Milestone:
>>
>>Nov 2001        Draft of architecture relating input methods, namepreps
>>                 and zonefiles
>>Nov 2001        Draft of ACE specification
>>Nov 2001        Draft of DNS identifier normalization specification
>>Nov 2001        Draft of DNS character set enhancement specification
>
>'Character set enhancement' is a very weird term. This is the
>IDNA spec, isn't it? Using the word 'architecture' in a generic
>name would be better, I guess.

Glad to use other language.  Please suggest a term.  I simply used what was 
already in the previous draft.

d/

----------
Dave Crocker  <mailto:dcrocker@brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg InternetWorking  <http://www.brandenburg.com>
tel +1.408.246.8253;  fax +1.408.273.6464