Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!lth.se!newsuser
From: Dan@dna.lth.se (Dan Oscarsson)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains
Subject: Re: Case-sensitive Name Service Routines
Message-ID: <1990Sep29.091829.7625@lth.se>
Date: 29 Sep 90 09:18:29 GMT
References: <40500002@hpindwa.HP.COM>
Sender: newsuser@lth.se (LTH network news server)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Computer Science, Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden
Lines: 35

In article <40500002@hpindwa.HP.COM> jbeck@hpindwa.HP.COM (John Beck) writes:
>I have noticed that gethostbyname matches host-names in a case-insensitive
>manner, whereas the other name service routines (getbetbyname, getprotobyname,
>getservbyname) are case sensitive. In addition, getservbyname and getservbyport
>also takes a protocol parameter, which they match in a case-sensitive manner.
>
>The reason gethostbyname is case-insensitive is that it is prescribed in the
>RFC's for the Domain Name Server (1134 & 1135) that domain names must be case-
>insensitive. The others, however, are unspecified.
>
>It seems to me that the other routines should also match names in a case-
>insensitive manner. Should it matter whether you call getservbyname with a
>parameter of "ftp" vs. "FTP"? I think both should work, although currently
>the former will return a pointer to a proper servent structure, whereas the
>latter will only return a null pointer.
>
>How do others feel about this issue? Is it worth pursuing to get a change
>effected? Or is it too trivial to bother with? Responses encouraged.
>
This is one area where Unix is a mess. For most normal people (non unix)
a letter A is an A independent of case. I think most of you do noy think
an A and an a read in a book have different meanings. Therefore I feel
it would be much better if as much as possible should be case-insensitive.
At least all routines concerning host names, protocol, services, user names and
group names (and some more I cannot think of just now).
Even file names should be looked up case-insensitive (but named case-sensitive),
but this may be to much for some unix hackers.

   Dan

-- 
Dan Oscarsson                              Department of Computer Science
                                           Lund Institute of Technology
e-mail:  Dan@dna.lth.se                    Box 118
                                           S-221 00 Lund, Sweden