Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
3. Requirements for URN encoding
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Requests For Comments
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RFC 1737
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3. Requirements for URN encoding
3. Requirements for URN encoding
In addition to requirements on the functional elements of the URNs,
there are requirements for how they are encoded in a string:
- Single encoding: The encoding for presentation for people in clear
text, electronic mail and the like is the same as the encoding in
other transmissions.
- Simple comparison: A comparison algorithm for URNs is simple,
local, and deterministic. That is, there is a single algorithm for
comparing two URNs that does not require contacting any external
server, is well specified and simple.
- Human transcribability: For URNs to be easily transcribable by
humans without error, they should be short, use a minimum of
special characters, and be case insensitive. (There is no strong
requirement that it be easy for a human to generate or interpret a
URN; explicit human-accessible semantics of the names is not a
requirement.) For this reason, URN comparison is insensitive to
case, and probably white space and some punctuation marks.
- Transport friendliness: A URN can be transported unmodified in the
common Internet protocols, such as TCP, SMTP, FTP, Telnet, etc., as
well as printed paper.
- Machine consumption: A URN can be parsed by a computer.
- Text recognition: The encoding of a URN should enhance the
ability to find and parse URNs in free text.
Next: 4. Implications
Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
3. Requirements for URN encoding