[uf-new] Separating File Content from File Format

[Charles Iliya Krempeaux]

Hello Scott,

On 4/5/07, Scott Reynen <scott at makedatamakesense.com> wrote:
> On Apr 5, 2007, at 2:56 PM, Charles Iliya Krempeaux wrote:
>
> > Hello Scott,
> >
> > You can find more info about Content Types here...
> >
> > Section 14.17 of RFC 2616
> > http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec14.html#sec14.17
>
> Hmm, reading that gives me the impression that parameters are defined
> when media types are registered, and aren't something we can add to
> suit our needs.

I don't believe that is the case.

I believe (according to the spec) you are free to create your own
Content Type parameters.

That quote...

"The presence or absence of a parameter might be significant to the
processing of a media-type, depending on its definition within the
media type registry."

... only implies that there MIGHT be some Content Type parameters
defined with the Media Type registration -- with the MIME Type
registration.

I've seen examples in the wild of people creating their own Content
Type parameters to existing registered Media/MIME types.  (I've even
done it.)  And although that does not prove that doing so is what the
spec says... it is evidence towards it.


See ya

> That links to this:
>
> http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec3.html#sec3.7
>
> Which says "The presence or absence of a parameter might be
> significant to the processing of a media-type, depending on its
> definition within the media type registry."
>
> So the media type registry determines the significance of parameters
> for that media type.  In the text/html registry [1], for example, I
> see "Optional parameters: charset".  But in the audio/mpeg registry,
> I see "Optional parameters: none".  I couldn't find any discussion of
> parameters specific to video/mpeg, but video/mp4 [3] also says
> "Optional parameters: none", as does video/quicktime [4].  Microsoft
> has, of course, used unregistered X- content types.  So what exactly
> does "Optional parameters: none" mean?  It seems to suggest we don't
> have the option of parameters on these content types, but maybe I'm
> reading that too literally?
>
> [1] http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2854
> [2] http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3003
> [3] http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4337
> [4] http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/video/quicktime


-- 
    Charles Iliya Krempeaux, B.Sc.

    charles @ reptile.ca
    supercanadian @ gmail.com

    developer weblog: http://ChangeLog.ca/