Critical Content Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions Parameter
RFC 3459, “Critical Content Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions Parameter”, is a Proposed Standard document published in January 2003 by E. Burger. It updates RFC 3204. It has since been updated by RFC 5621. The canonical text is published by the RFC Editor.
Abstract
This document describes the use of a mechanism for identifying body parts that a sender deems critical in a multi-part Internet mail message. The mechanism described is a parameter to Content-Disposition, as described by RFC 3204. By knowing what parts of a message the sender deems critical, a content gateway can intelligently handle multi-part messages when providing gateway services to systems of lesser capability. Critical content can help a content gateway to decide what parts to forward. It can indicate how hard a gateway should try to deliver a body part. It can help the gateway to pick body parts that are safe to silently delete when a system of lesser capability receives a message. In addition, critical content can help the gateway chose the notification strategy for the receiving system. Likewise, if the sender expects the destination to do some processing on a body part, critical content allows the sender to mark body parts that the receiver must process. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
What “Proposed Standard” means
An entry-level standards-track specification: stable, peer-reviewed and a solid basis for implementation, though it may still evolve before becoming an Internet Standard.
The canonical text of RFC 3459 is hosted at rfc-editor.org. Available in TXT,HTML.
- RFC 3458 Message Context for Internet Mail
- RFC 3460 Policy Core Information Model Extensions
- RFC 3457 Requirements for IPsec Remote Access Scenarios
- RFC 3461 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Service Extension for Delivery Status Notifications
- RFC 3456 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Configuration of IPsec Tunnel Mode
- RFC 3462 The Multipart/Report Content Type for the Reporting of Mail System Administrative Messages
- RFC 3455 Private Header Extensions to the Session Initiation Protocol for the 3rd-Generation Partnership Project
- RFC 3463 Enhanced Mail System Status Codes