Request for comments on Request for Comments: Instructions to RFC authors
RFC 1111
Document | Type |
RFC - Informational
(August 1989; No errata)
Obsoletes RFC 825
|
|
---|---|---|---|
Author | Jon Postel | ||
Last updated | 2013-03-02 | ||
Stream | Legacy | ||
Formats | plain text html pdf htmlized bibtex | ||
Stream | Legacy state | (None) | |
Consensus Boilerplate | Unknown | ||
RFC Editor Note | (None) | ||
IESG | IESG state | RFC 1111 (Informational) | |
Telechat date | |||
Responsible AD | (None) | ||
Send notices to | (None) |
Network Working Group J. Postel Request for Comments: 1111 ISI Obsoletes: 825 August 1989 Request for Comments on Request for Comments Instructions to RFC Authors Status of this Memo This RFC specifies a standard for the Internet community. Authors of RFCs are expected to adopt and implement this standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. 1. Introduction RFCs are distributed online by being stored as public access files, and a short message is sent to the distribution list indicating the availability of the memo. The online files are copied by the interested people and printed or displayed at their site on their equipment. (An RFC may also be returned via email in response to an email query.) This means that the format of the online files must meet the constraints of a wide variety of printing and display equipment. 2. Format Rules To meet the distribution constraints the following rules are established for the two allowed formats for RFCs: ASCII and PostScript. The RFC Editor attempts to ensure a consistent RFC style. To do this the RFC Editor may choose reformat the RFC submitted. It is much easier to do this if the submission matches the style of the most recent RFCs. Please do look at some recent RFCs and prepare yours in the same style. You must submit an editable online document to the RFC Editor. The RFC Editor may require minor changes in format or style and will insert the actual RFC number. 2a. ASCII Format Rules: The character codes are ASCII. Each page must be limited to 58 lines followed by a form feed on a Postel [Page 1] RFC 1111 RFC Instructions August 1989 line by itself. Each line must be limited to 72 characters followed by carriage return and line feed. No overstriking (or underlining) is allowed. These "height" and "width" constraints include any headers, footers, page numbers, or left side indenting. Do not fill the text with extra spaces to provide a straight right margin. Do not do hyphenation of words at the right margin. Do not use footnotes. If such notes are necessary, put them at the end of a section, or at the end of the document. Use single spaced text within a paragraph, and one blank line between paragraphs. RFCs in ASCII Format may be submitted to the RFC Editor in email messages (or as online files) in either the finished publication format or in NROFF. If you plan to submit a document in NROFF, please consult the RFC Editor first. 2b. PostScript Format Rules Standard page size is 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Margin of 1 inch on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right). Main text should have a point size of no less than 10 points with a line spacing of 12 points. Footnotes and graph notations no smaller than 8 points with a line spacing of 9.6 points. Three fonts are acceptable: Helvetica, Times Roman and Courier Plus their bold-face and italic versions. These are the three standard fonts on most PostScript printers. Prepare diagrams and images based on lowest common denominator PostScript. Consider common PostScript printer functionality and memory requirements. The following PostScript commands should not be used: initgraphics, erasepage, copypage, grestoreall, initmatrix, Postel [Page 2] RFC 1111 RFC Instructions August 1989 initclip, banddevice, framedevice, nulldevice and renderbands. These PostScript rules are likely to changed and expanded as experience is gained. RFCs in PostScript Format may be submitted to the RFC Editor in email messages (or as online files). Since PostScript is not editable, an editable source version of the document must also be submitted. If you plan to submit a document in PostScript, please consult the RFC Editor first. 3. Status Statement Each RFC must include on its first page the "Status of this Memo" section which contains a paragraph describing the intention of the RFC. This section is meant to convey the status granted by the RFC Editor and the Internet Activities Board (IAB). There are several reasons for publishing a memo as an RFC, for example, to make available some information for interested people, or to begin or continue a discussion of an interesting idea, or to make available the specification of a protocol. The following sample paragraphs may be used to satisfy this requirement:Show full document text