RFC 6922

The application/sql Media Type

📅 published April 2013, from ietf

RFC 6922: The application/sql Media Type 💖

okay bestie, this one is an Informational RFC 🦋, so it's not a standards-track spec, just a "here's the info" doc. Y. Shafranovich from BioFortis, Inc. wrote it, it's dated April 2013, and its ISSN is 2070-1721. The title block doesn't list anything it obsoletes or updates, so it's standing on its own ✨

Abstract

this doc registers the application/sql media type for the Structured Query Language (SQL) 💅

Status of This Memo

ngl this is giving "not a standard, just published for info" 🌸

This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification. It is published for informational purposes.

It's a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and represents the consensus of the IETF community. It got public review and was approved for publication by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Not every IESG-approved doc is a candidate for any level of Internet Standard, so see Section 2 of RFC 5741 for that. 🧚

For info on the current status, any errata, and how to give feedback, check http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6922.

© 2013 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 (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) as in effect on the date of publication. Read these carefully, because they spell out your rights and restrictions for this document.

Code Components pulled out of this document must include Simplified BSD License text, as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions. They come without warranty, as described in the Simplified BSD License. 💜

Table of Contents

1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.  Conventions Used in This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3.  Media Type Registration Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
4.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6.  Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
7.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1. Introduction 🌷

SQL has been around for over 30 years, across all kinds of database tech 🗄️ But there's still no media type registered for it, which is kind of wild. So this doc is here to formally register application/sql for SQL with IANA. iconic behavior 👑

2. Conventions Used in This Document ✨

the key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" are read the way [RFC2119] describes when they show up in ALL CAPS. these words may also pop up in lowercase as plain English prose, without any of the normative meanings above. 🫶

3. Media Type Registration Application 🎀

this section has the media type registration application for this media type (see [RFC6838], Section 5.6). here's the template, bestie:

Type name: application

Subtype name: sql

Required parameters: N/A

Optional parameters: there's one, "charset", which indicates the character set to be used. when it's not specified, a default value MUST NOT be assumed without inspecting the content. 🙈

implementors should know SQL may carry character set info in-band. in that case the "charset" parameter MUST NOT be used, so there's no conflict. if no character set info is supplied in-band, and the character set is known, implementors SHOULD use the "charset" parameter. and if there's no in-band or out-of-band character set info at all, implementors MUST NOT specify the "charset" parameter. 🍓

Encoding considerations: if the "charset" parameter is used, the matching 7-bit, 8-bit, or binary encoding may be used. if the "charset" parameter isn't used, binary encoding may be required. 💅

Security considerations: SQL is a full-fledged programming language, and it can include embedded source code for other programming languages. so there's a risk it gets used to transfer malware, viruses, and other malicious payloads 💀 implementors and users are encouraged to only exchange SQL files among trusted parties, and to use every security measure available, like restricted access, virus scanners, and so on, to cut down on risk.

implementors should also know that guessing character sets, encodings, or resolving conflicts between in-band and out-of-band character set info may lead to security issues similar to the ones above. ⚠️

also, SQL doesn't provide or guarantee any confidentiality or integrity checking. SQL files can expose account info or private details about database structure and contents 😭 so it's important for applications to protect confidentiality and guard against modification by malicious third parties while data is in transit. protect your bestie's data, periodt 🔒

Interoperability considerations: a single standard exists ([ISO.9075.2011]), but vendor implementations of it vary a lot 🌈 implementors and users should make sure the exchanged SQL files match the specific database/tool and version they're using.

Published specification: the most recent SQL spec is available in [ISO.9075.2011].

Applications that use this media type: databases and related tools 🧚

Fragment identifier considerations: N/A

Additional information:

  • Deprecated alias names for this type: N/A
  • Magic number(s): N/A
  • File extension(s): sql
  • Macintosh File Type Code(s): N/A

Person & email address to contact for further information: Yakov Shafranovich <ietf@shaftek.org>

Intended usage: COMMON

Restrictions on usage: N/A

Author: IESG

Change controller: IESG

Provisional registration? (standards tree only): N/A

4. IANA Considerations 🦋

IANA has registered "application/sql" in the standards tree of the "Application Media Types" registry, using the application given in Section 3 of this document. ✨

5. Security Considerations 🔐

see the Security Considerations item in the registration template in Section 3, above. it's the full scoop, so go read it 👀

6. Acknowledgments 💖

to LTS, thanks for everything 🫶

the author would also like to thank all the folks at xml.resource.org for providing many of the tools used to prepare RFCs and Internet-Drafts. 🌸

a big thank-you to all the IETF members who gave feedback on this document. 👑

7. Normative References 📚

  • [ISO.9075.2011]: International Organization for Standardization, "ISO/IEC 9075:2011, Information Technology - Database Languages - Structured Query Language (SQL)", 2011.
  • [RFC2119]: Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.
  • [RFC6838]: Freed, N., Klensin, J., and T. Hansen, "Media Type Specifications and Registration Procedures", BCP 13, RFC 6838, January 2013.

Author's Address 🌈

Yakov Shafranovich
BioFortis, Inc.
10320 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 410
Columbia, MD  21044
US

Phone: +1 443 276-2464
EMail: ietf@shaftek.org
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