🚀 go-pugleaf

stu@valinor.mythical.com (Stu Labovitz) writes:
>(As a preface to the following questions, I would like to make it clear
>that I am _NOT_ trying to start an interpretation-war over RFC #822
>(Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages)!)
>  I am having some problems interfacing the mail software at my site
>with that of one of my neighbor sites.  The problem evidences itself
>in a difference of interpretation of how certain headers in a mail
>message may be formatted.
...

  There is NOTHING to prevent reformatting of headers in any way an
intermediant system may want to do it.  Even the order of headers isn't
guaranteed to stay the same -- well, except the "Received:" -lines.

>RFC #822 goes on to say (in Section 3.4.2, entitled "White Space") that
>"in structured field bodies, multiple linear space ASCII characters
>(namely HTABs and SPACEs) are treated as single spaces and may freely
>surround any symbol.  In all header fields, the only place in which at
>least one LWSP-char is REQUIRED is at the beginning of continuation lines
>in a folded field."

  Yes, as normal header starts at column 1, continuation must start later.
However a completely empty line (syntax allows "CRLF space space CRLF space"
within a header -- see 'linear-white-space') 

>In particular, I am having problems with the To: line of the header.
...
>linear-white-space =   1*([CRLF] LWSP-char)
>LWSP-char      =       SPACE / HTAB

>Now that we've covered what I believe are the relevant sections of the
>RFC, here's the question:  Does RFC #822 provide limits (either minimum or
>maximum) upon the number of SPACE characters that separate the "To:" from
>the mailbox on the destination line?  Must there be at least one SPACE,
>and is there any reasonable interpretation to prevent the existance of
>more than one SPACE?

  No, there is no preventation from more than one space character.
For example following ones are completely valid To: -lines (Note: '_'
presents here SPACE, while normal white-space means HTAB has been used)
	To:	(Commentary_text
		_folded_over)__<address@destination>
	To:__address@destination
	Comment:_Test comment...
		__
		A_bit_long_test_comment_at_that..

(However, folding the "To:" -line in similar fashion to "Comment:" -line is
 not very advisable..)

>Many, many thanks in advance for all of your help on this issue!

>   Stuart L Labovitz                    Internet:  stu@valinor.mythical.com
>    (insert standard disclaimer here)       UUCP:   uunet!valinor!stu
>       Duct tape is like the force.  It has a light side, a dark side,
>         and it holds the universe together.      --- Carl Zwanzig

	/Matti Aarnio <mea@utu.fi>
		University of Turku, Turku, Finland