RFC - 822

STANDARD FOR THE FORMAT OF ARPA INTERNET TEXT MESSAGES

Original:	ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc822.txt
Authors:	David H. Crocker [University of Delaware]
Date:	August 1982
Category:	Standard: STD-11 ]
This specification has been !!! obsoleted !!!

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Obsoleted by:
RFC-2822prop	Internet Message Format

Obsoletes:
RFC-733	Standard for the format of ARPA network text messages (Obsoleted by RFC-822std11 -> RFC-2822prop)

Updated by:
RFC-2156prop	MIXER (Mime Internet X.400 Enhanced Relay): Mapping between X.400 and RFC 822/MIME
RFC-1327	Mapping between X.400(1988) / ISO 10021 and RFC 822 (Obsoleted by RFC-2156prop) (Updated by RFC-1495)
RFC-1148	Mapping between X.400(1988) / ISO 10021 and RFC 822 (Obsoleted by RFC-2156prop, RFC-1327 -> RFC-2156prop)
RFC-1138	Mapping between X.400(1988) / ISO 10021 and RFC 822 (Obsoleted by RFC-2156prop, RFC-1327 -> RFC-2156prop) (Updated by RFC-1148)
RFC-1123std3 [STD 3]	Requirements for Internet Hosts - Application and Support (Updated by RFC-1349, RFC-2181prop)

Referred by:	391 RFC
Refers to:	1 RFC

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Abstract

PREFACE

By 1977, the Arpanet employed several informal standards for the text messages (mail) sent among its host computers. It was felt necessary to codify these practices and provide for those features that seemed imminent. The result of that effort was Request for Comments (RFC) #733(-> 822^std11(-> 2822^prop)), "Standard for the Format of ARPA Network Text Message", by Crocker, Vittal, Pogran, and Henderson. The specification attempted to avoid major changes in existing software, while permitting several new features.

This document revises the specifications in RFC #733(-> 822^std11(-> 2822^prop)), in order to serve the needs of the larger and more complex ARPA Internet. Some of RFC #733(-> 822^std11(-> 2822^prop))'s features failed to gain adequate acceptance. In order to simplify the standard and the software that follows it, these features have been removed. A different addressing scheme is used, to handle the case of inter-network mail; and the concept of re-transmission has been introduced.

This specification is intended for use in the ARPA Internet. However, an attempt has been made to free it of any dependence on that environment, so that it can be applied to other network text message systems.

The specification of RFC #733(-> 822^std11(-> 2822^prop)) took place over the course of one year, using the ARPANET mail environment, itself, to provide an on-going forum for discussing the capabilities to be included. More than twenty individuals, from across the country, partici- pated in the original discussion. The development of this revised specification has, similarly, utilized network mail-based group discussion. Both specification efforts greatly benefited from the comments and ideas of the participants.

The syntax of the standard, in RFC #733(-> 822^std11(-> 2822^prop)), was originally specified in the Backus-Naur Form (BNF) meta-language. Ken L. Harrenstien, of SRI International, was responsible for re-coding the BNF into an augmented BNF that makes the representation smaller and easier to understand.

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