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From: diamant@hpfclp.HP.COM (John Diamant)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.uucp
Subject: Re: Forcing mail routing and brackets in mail addresses
Message-ID: <7270002@hpfclp.HP.COM>
Date: Wed, 21-Jan-87 19:44:57 EST
Article-I.D.: hpfclp.7270002
Posted: Wed Jan 21 19:44:57 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Jan-87 22:51:15 EST
References: <577@sask.UUCP>
Organization: HP, Fort Collins
Lines: 22

> The mail standard which seems to be in use here is described in the RFC822
> document.  Section 6.2.3. of this document, along with the sections that
> describe syntax, allow for "domain literals", which are strings enclosed in
> square brackets ("[", "]").  These are supposed to be passed uninterpreted
> to the destination host.  Thus, [user@host_a]@host_b should be routed to
> host_b, which will then deliver it to user@host_a (if it can).  As far as I
> can tell, these should nest correctly.

First of all, domain literals are not "strings enclosed in square brackets,"
they are 32-bit Internet addresses (the 4 numbers separated by dots).  Host
names (and UUCP paths) are not allowed.  Second of all, square brackets may
not be nested (section 3.4.6 of RFC822).  Your idea will not work based on
RFC822 standards.  Sorry, we will have to come up with something else -- or
extend some standards to handle it.

> reid@sask.uucp                          {alberta, ihnp4, utcsri}!sask!reid


John Diamant
Systems Software Operation	UUCP:  {hplabs,hpfcla}!hpfclp!diamant
Hewlett Packard Co.		ARPA/CSNET: diamant%hpfclp@hplabs.HP.COM
Fort Collins, CO