RFC 4735

Example Media Types for Use in Documentation

📅 published October 2006, from ietf

RFC 4735: Example Media Types for Use in Documentation 💖

Request for Comments: 4735
Stream: Network Working Group
Author: T. Taylor (Tom Taylor), Nortel
Category: Standards Track
Date: October 2006
Obsoletes: nothing listed
Updates: nothing listed

Status of This Memo ✨

Okay so this one is an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and the authors are literally asking for discussion and suggestions for improvements 🫶. For the current standardization state and status, check the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1). Distribution of this memo is unlimited 🌸.

Copyright Notice 🎀

Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).

Abstract 💅

Main character alert 👑: this doc registers the example media type and example subtypes in the standards tree. The example/* and */example media types are for documentation purposes only. That's it, that's the whole vibe 🦋.

1. Introduction 🌈

So here's the thing. IETF documents and documents from other standards bodies keep showing examples that use media types, but the actual media type isn't the point of the example. It would be super useful to have a type that clearly says "I'm just an example" 🙈. In the worst case, this can help debug implementations where the designer mistook the example for an actual requirement of the protocol, which is a whole mess 😭.

To fix that, this document registers the following media types:

the example media type;
the application/example, audio/example, image/example, message/example, model/example, multipart/example, text/example, and video/example media subtypes.

Also, compilers of illustrative examples that use media types from trees other than the standards tree might also put the string example into their hypothetical media types 🧚.

2. Terminology 💜

Okay, the key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119] 📚.

3. Registration of the 'example' Media Type 🍓

This section registers the example media type in accordance with the requirements of RFC 4288. Here's the registration template, verbatim:

Type name: example.

Subtype name: any subtype may be used with the 'example' type.
However, IANA MUST NOT register any subtypes for the 'example' media
type.

Required parameters: as invented by the user.

Optional parameters: as invented by the user.

Encoding considerations: as invented by the user.

Security considerations: The 'example' media type is defined for use
in documentation only.  It MUST NOT be implemented.  Its appearance
in real code could lead to unpredictable results and therefore open
up security holes.

Interoperability considerations: Any attempt to negotiate or send the
'example' media type is bound to lead to interoperability problems.

Published specification: this document.

Applications that use this media type: as invented by the user.

Additional information:
   Magic number(s): not applicable.
   File extension(s): not applicable.
   Macintosh file type code(s): not applicable.

Person & email address to contact for further information:
ietf-types@iana.org.

Intended usage: LIMITED USE.

Restrictions on usage: This type is intended only for use in
documents providing examples involving specification of some media
type, where the actual media type used is irrelevant.

Author: Internet Engineering Task Force

Change controller: Internet Engineering Task Force

Heads up bestie: the security notes say this type MUST NOT be implemented. Not even a little 💀.

4. Registration of the 'application/example', 'audio/example', 'image/example', 'message/example', 'model/example', 'multipart/example', 'text/example', and 'video/example' Subtypes 🦋

This section registers the example media subtypes in accordance with the requirements of RFC 4288. Here's the template:

Type name: 'application', 'audio', 'image', 'message', 'model',
'multipart', 'text', and 'video'.

Subtype name: 'example'.

Required parameters: those required by the type and any others as
invented by the user.

Optional parameters: those offered by the type and any others as
invented by the user.

Encoding considerations: as invented by the user.

Security considerations: The 'example' media subtypes are defined
for use in documentation only.  They MUST NOT be implemented.  Their
appearance in real code could lead to unpredictable results and
therefore open up security holes.

Interoperability considerations: Any attempt to negotiate or send
one of these 'example' media subtypes is bound to lead to
interoperability problems.

Published specification: this document.

Applications that use this media type: as invented by the user.

Additional information:
   Magic number(s): not applicable.
   File extension(s): not applicable.
   Macintosh file type code(s): not applicable.

Person & email address to contact for further information:
ietf-types@iana.org.

Intended usage: LIMITED USE.

Restrictions on usage: These subtypes are intended only for use in
documents providing examples involving specification of some subtype
of the given media type, where the actual subtype used is irrelevant.

Author: Internet Engineering Task Force

Change controller: Internet Engineering Task Force

5. Security Considerations 💀

This one is serious, so listen up 🙏. The example media type and subtypes are defined for use in documentation only. They MUST NOT be implemented. Any attempt to implement them in real code could lead to unpredictable results, and that could potentially open up security holes 🔥.

6. IANA Considerations 🌸

This document specifies and registers the example media type and the application/example, audio/example, image/example, message/example, model/example, multipart/example, text/example, and video/example subtypes.

7. Acknowledgements 🫶

This document sprang from Magnus Westerland's expression of need and Rod Walsh's support and suggestions for generalization 💖. The warnings against implementation in the Security Considerations and Interoperability Considerations sections, and the multipart/example subtype, were added at John Klensin's suggestion. Some editing touchups and strengthening of the language in the Security Considerations section were made in response to the Gen-ART reviewer, Sharon Chisholm ✨.

8. Normative References 📚

[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
[RFC4288] Freed, N. and J. Klensin, "Media Type Specifications and Registration Procedures", BCP 13, RFC 4288, December 2005.

Author's Address 📮

Tom Taylor
Nortel
1852 Lorraine Ave
Ottawa, Ontario  K1H 6Z8
Canada

EMail: taylor@nortel.com

Full Copyright Statement 🌈

This document is subject to the rights, licenses and restrictions contained in BCP 78, and except as set forth therein, the authors retain all their rights.

The legal disclaimer, kept word for word because it matters:

This document and the information contained herein are provided on an
"AS IS" basis and THE CONTRIBUTOR, THE ORGANIZATION HE/SHE REPRESENTS
OR IS SPONSORED BY (IF ANY), THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET
ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE
INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Intellectual Property 🧚

The IETF doesn't take a position on whether any Intellectual Property Rights or other rights that might be claimed for this technology are valid or in scope, or on whether licenses under those rights are available. It also doesn't claim to have independently checked for any such rights. You can find the procedures for rights in RFC documents in BCP 78 and BCP 79.

Copies of IPR disclosures made to the IETF Secretariat, along with any assurances of licenses to be made available, or the results of attempts to get a general license or permission for implementers or users, are available from the IETF's online IPR repository at http://www.ietf.org/ipr.

The IETF also invites anyone to point out any copyrights, patents, patent applications, or other proprietary rights that may cover technology needed to implement this standard. Send that info to the IETF at ietf-ipr@ietf.org 💜.

Acknowledgement 🎀

Funding for the RFC Editor function is provided by the IETF Administrative Support Activity (IASA) ✨.

📦 where this page comes from

ietf: rfc4735 2006-10
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