Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!agate!ucbvax!VENERA.ISI.EDU!postel
From: postel@VENERA.ISI.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re:  Unknown TCP/IP options
Message-ID: <9008311557.AA18988@bel.isi.edu>
Date: 31 Aug 90 15:57:39 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 18


Dale Worley:

The statement has been made that the only options that will ever exist
with out a length field are the end-of-options (0) and no-operation (1)
options.  All other options now and defined in the future will have a
length field as their second byte.

	"					so we should establish the
	convention that the '2' bit (second-lowest) is 0 if the option has no
	argument and 1 if it does.

	Is this a good idea?"

NO.  This is a bad idea.  Just treat special case option codes 0 and 1. Look
for the length field for all other option codes.

--jon.