diff --git a/id/syntax.html b/id/syntax.html index f7d8bdc..f99bfe5 100644 --- a/id/syntax.html +++ b/id/syntax.html @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-

Fediverse ID (Fediverse)

+

Fediverse ID Syntax

by @@ -8,30 +8,137 @@

- The final say for what is and is not a valid Fediverse ID are the many implementations of WebFinger in-the-wild in all the different Fediverse software out there. - (Which could be different from each other.) + Currently there is no canonical syntax for a Fediverse ID. + However, we can infer a syntax for the Fediverse ID given that it has to be used with WebFinger. +

+
+
+

De Facto

+

+ Currently, the syntax of a Fediverse ID is whatever each Fediverse software supports. + Which could be different from each other!

- Because, from a technical point-of-view, a Fediverse ID is turned into an acct URI and then resolved with WebFinger. + The final say for what is and is not a valid Fediverse ID are the many implementations of WebFinger in-the-wild for all the different Fediverse software out there. + Which again could be different from each other!

- Also, there currently is no canonical syntax for a Fediverse ID. - Currently, the syntax of a Fediverse ID is whatever each implementation supports. - (Which again could be different from each other.) + The reason being because, from a technical point-of-view, a Fediverse ID is turned into an acct URI and then resolved with WebFinger.

- But, having said that, we can infer a minimum syntax for what should be considered a validFediverse ID. - I.e., the syntax that any implmentation for Fediverse IDs should support. - But, to say it explicitly, an implemention for Fediverse IDs could support more than just what is given by this syntax. + But, having said that, we can infer a minimum syntax and a maximum syntax for what should be considered a validFediverse ID. + I.e., the syntax that any implmentation for Fediverse IDs should support. + But, to say it explicitly, an implemention for Fediverse IDs could support more than just what is given by thes syntaxes.

+
+
+

Maximal Fediverse ID Syntax

+

+ An acct URI has some constraints according to the IETF RFC-7565 (The 'acct' URI Scheme) specification. + But — software, such as Fediverse software, don't have to implement those constraints. + I.e., they can accept more than just what IETF RFC-7565 (The 'acct' URI Scheme) specifies. +

+

+ Given that, here is a more maximal syntax for a Fediverse ID: +

+
+
+fediverseID = "@" [ actor ] "@" host
+
+
+

+ Where, given that ‘NOTATSIGN’ (i.e., not at-sign) is any Unicode character that isn't the U+0040 ("@") at-signs — +

+

+ ‘actor’ is defined as: +

+
+
+actor       = NOTATSIGN *NOTATSIGN      ; one or more characters that are not an at-sign ("@") (U+0040)
+
+
+

+ And ‘host’ is defined as: +

+
+
+host        = NOTATSIGN *NOTATSIGN      ; one or more characters that are not an at-sign ("@") (U+0040)
+
+
+

+ Note in this maximal Fediverse ID syntax ‘actor’ is optional. + But when ‘actor’ isn't included there still needs to be 2 U+0040 ("@") at-signs. +

+

+ Here are some Fediverse IDs that fit this maximal Fediverse ID syntax: +

+ + + + + + + + +

acct URI

- Part of the process of resolving a Fediverse ID transfomrs a Fediverse ID into an acct URI. - (And then using that acct URI version of the Fediverse ID makes a request to WebFinger.) + Part of the process of resolving a Fediverse ID transfomrs a Fediverse ID into an acct URI. + (And then using that acct URI version of the Fediverse ID makes a request to WebFinger.)

- Here is an example of transforming a Fediverse ID into an acct URI: + Here is an example of transforming a Fediverse ID into an acct URI: 

 
@@ -48,34 +155,51 @@
 			A client would then make a request to:
 		

 
+
 https://example.com/.well-known/host-meta
+
 

 		

-			To discover what the (template) URL for WebFinger is.
+			To discover what the (template) URL for WebFinger is.
 			And then, for example, if it is at:
 		

 
+
 https://example.com/.well-known/webfinger?resource={uri}
+
 

 		

 			Then make a request to:
 		

 
+
 https://example.com/.well-known/webfinger?resource=acct:joeblow@example.com
+
 

+		

+			This WebFinger implementation could accept whatever it wants.
+			It doesn't have to restrict itself to what is specified by the IETF RFC-7565 (The 'acct' URI Scheme) specification.
+			BUT —
+
-

Fediverse ID Syntax

+

Minimal Fediverse ID Syntax

- Inferring from IETF RFC-7565 (The 'acct' URI Scheme) and referenced IEFC RFCs, the syntax of a Fediverse ID is: + Let us consider what a minimal Fediverse ID syntax would be if we constrained ourselves to what the IETF RFC-7565 (The 'acct' URI Scheme) specificaiton says. +

+

+ Here is what we get: 

+
 fediverseID = "@" actor "@" host
+

Where “actor” is defined as: 

+
 actor       = unreserved / sub-delims 0*( unreserved / pct-encoded / sub-delims )
 
 unreserved  = ALPHA / DIGIT / "-" / "." / "_" / "~"
@@ -89,6 +213,7 @@ ALPHA       =  %x41-5A / %x61-7A   ; A-Z / a-z
 DIGIT       =  %x30-39             ; 0-9
 
 HEXDIG      =  DIGIT / "A" / "B" / "C" / "D" / "E" / "F"
+

(Again note that an implementation could support more characters for “actor” than what is given by this definition.) @@ -97,6 +222,7 @@ HEXDIG = DIGIT / "A" / "B" / "C" / "D" / "E" / "F" And “host” is defined as 

+
 host        = IP-literal / IPv4address / reg-name
 
 IP-literal  = "[" ( IPv6address / IPvFuture  ) "]"
@@ -126,6 +252,7 @@ dec-octet   = DIGIT                 ; 0-9
             / "25" %x30-35          ; 250-255
 
 reg-name    = *( unreserved / pct-encoded / sub-delims )
+