Edward Cherlin wrote:
> How is "text/plain" defined? What does it specify about line lengths, word
> wrap, fixed vs. proportional fonts, line end characters, and line and
> paragraph separators?
RFC 2046, section 4.1 ff., is authoritative:
# Plain text does not provide for or allow
# formatting commands, font attribute specifications, processing
# instructions, interpretation directives, or content markup. Plain
# text is seen simply as a linear sequence of characters, possibly
# interrupted by line breaks or page breaks. Plain text may allow the
# stacking of several characters in the same position in the text.
# Plain text in scripts like Arabic and Hebrew may also include
# facilities that allow the arbitrary mixing of text segments with
# opposite writing directions.
#
# [...]
#
# The canonical form of any MIME "text" subtype MUST always represent a
# line break as a CRLF sequence. Similarly, any occurrence of CRLF in
# MIME "text" MUST represent a line break. Use of CR and LF outside of
# line break sequences is also forbidden.
#
# This rule applies regardless of format or character set or sets
# involved.
#
# NOTE: The proper interpretation of line breaks when a body is
# displayed depends on the media type. In particular, [...] it is
# appropriate to treat a line break as a transition to a new line when
# displaying a "text/plain" body [...]. It should not be
# necessary to add any line breaks to display "text/plain" correctly
# [...].
There is no talk of fonts or paragraphs, and the "NOTE:" paragraph
suggests that word (or non-word) wrapping is inappropriate.
-- John Cowan http://www.ccil.org/~cowan cowan@ccil.org Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis um dies! / Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau, Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau / Und trank die Milch vom Paradies. -- Coleridge / Politzer
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