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RFC 5322, "Internet Message Format", October 2008

Note: This RFC has been updated by RFC 6854

Source of RFC: IETF - NON WORKING GROUP
Area Assignment: app
See Also: RFC 5322 w/ inline errata

Errata ID: 1908
Status: Verified
Type: Technical
Publication Format(s) : TEXT

Reported By: Wolf Lammen
Date Reported: 2009-10-11
Verifier Name: Alexey Melnikov
Date Verified: 2010-03-24

Section 4.2 says:

   In the obsolete syntax, any amount of folding white space MAY be
   inserted where the obs-FWS rule is allowed.  This creates the
   possibility of having two consecutive "folds" in a line, and
   therefore the possibility that a line which makes up a folded header
   field could be composed entirely of white space.

   obs-FWS         =   1*WSP *(CRLF 1*WSP)

It should say:

   In the obsolete syntax, any amount of folding white space MAY be
   inserted where the obs-FWS rule is allowed.  This creates the
   possibility of having two consecutive "folds" in a line, and
   therefore the possibility that a line which makes up a folded header
   field could be composed entirely of white space.

   obs-FWS         =   1*([CRLF] WSP)

Notes:

If I understand the relevant portions of RFC 822 right (notably section 3.1.1
["The general rule is that wherever there may be linear-white-space...
a CRLF followed by ... LWSP-char(s) may instead be inserted"], along with
section 3.1.4, section 3.3), it is permitted to extend a phrase
atom SPACE atom
by inserting linear-white-space (CRLF SPACE CRLF SPACE) instead, yielding:
atom CRLF SPACE CRLF SPACE atom
However, this is not recognized by the rules of RFC 5322, because the new
syntax forbids consecutive foldings, whereas obs-FWS requires a leading
white-space character at the beginning.

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