Network Working Group T. Taylor
Request for Comments: 4735 Nortel
Category: Standards Track October 2006
Example Media Types for Use in Documentation
1. Introduction
From time to time, documents created by the IETF or by other standards bodies show examples involving the use of media types, where the actual media type is not relevant. It would be useful in such cases to be able to show a media type whose illustrative role in the example is clear. In the worst case, this can be useful to debug implementations where the designer mistook the example for a requirement of the protocol concerned.
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RFC 4735 Example Media Types October 2006 2. TerminologyThe 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.
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RFC 4735 Example Media Types October 2006
Author: Internet Engineering Task Force
4. Registration of the 'application/example', 'audio/example',
'image/example', 'message/example', 'model/example', 'multipart/example', 'text/example', and 'video/example' Subtypes
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RFC 4735 Example Media Types October 2006
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.
5. Security Considerations
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 thus 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. 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 done in response to the Gen-ART reviewer, Sharon Chisholm.
8. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
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RFC 4735 Example Media Types October 2006
Author's Address
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RFC 4735 Example Media Types October 2006
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