RFC 7564
PRECIS Framework: Preparation, Enforcement, and Comparison of Internationalized Strings in Application Protocols
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) P. Saint-Andre Request for Comments: 7564 &yet Obsoletes: 3454 M. Blanchet Category: Standards Track Viagenie ISSN: 2070-1721 May 2015 PRECIS Framework: Preparation, Enforcement, and Comparison of Internationalized Strings in Application ProtocolsAbstract
Application protocols using Unicode characters in protocol strings need to properly handle such strings in order to enforce internationalization rules for strings placed in various protocol slots (such as addresses and identifiers) and to perform valid comparison operations (e.g., for purposes of authentication or authorization). This document defines a framework enabling application protocols to perform the preparation, enforcement, and comparison of internationalized strings ("PRECIS") in a way that depends on the properties of Unicode characters and thus is agile with respect to versions of Unicode. As a result, this framework provides a more sustainable approach to the handling of internationalized strings than the previous framework, known as Stringprep (RFC 3454). This document obsoletes RFC 3454. Status of This Memo This is an Internet Standards Track document. This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has received public review and has been approved for publication by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741. Information about the current status of this document, any errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7564.
Copyright Notice Copyright (c) 2015 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the document authors. All rights reserved. This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License.Table of Contents
1. Introduction ....................................................4 2. Terminology .....................................................7 3. Preparation, Enforcement, and Comparison ........................7 4. String Classes ..................................................8 4.1. Overview ...................................................8 4.2. IdentifierClass ............................................9 4.2.1. Valid ...............................................9 4.2.2. Contextual Rule Required ...........................10 4.2.3. Disallowed .........................................10 4.2.4. Unassigned .........................................11 4.2.5. Examples ...........................................11 4.3. FreeformClass .............................................11 4.3.1. Valid ..............................................11 4.3.2. Contextual Rule Required ...........................12 4.3.3. Disallowed .........................................12 4.3.4. Unassigned .........................................12 4.3.5. Examples ...........................................12 5. Profiles .......................................................13 5.1. Profiles Must Not Be Multiplied beyond Necessity ..........13 5.2. Rules .....................................................14 5.2.1. Width Mapping Rule .................................14 5.2.2. Additional Mapping Rule ............................14 5.2.3. Case Mapping Rule ..................................14 5.2.4. Normalization Rule .................................15 5.2.5. Directionality Rule ................................15 5.3. A Note about Spaces .......................................16 6. Applications ...................................................17 6.1. How to Use PRECIS in Applications .........................17 6.2. Further Excluded Characters ...............................18 6.3. Building Application-Layer Constructs .....................18 7. Order of Operations ............................................19
8. Code Point Properties ..........................................20 9. Category Definitions Used to Calculate Derived Property ........22 9.1. LetterDigits (A) ..........................................23 9.2. Unstable (B) ..............................................23 9.3. IgnorableProperties (C) ...................................23 9.4. IgnorableBlocks (D) .......................................23 9.5. LDH (E) ...................................................23 9.6. Exceptions (F) ............................................23 9.7. BackwardCompatible (G) ....................................23 9.8. JoinControl (H) ...........................................24 9.9. OldHangulJamo (I) .........................................24 9.10. Unassigned (J) ...........................................24 9.11. ASCII7 (K) ...............................................24 9.12. Controls (L) .............................................24 9.13. PrecisIgnorableProperties (M) ............................24 9.14. Spaces (N) ...............................................25 9.15. Symbols (O) ..............................................25 9.16. Punctuation (P) ..........................................25 9.17. HasCompat (Q) ............................................25 9.18. OtherLetterDigits (R) ....................................25 10. Guidelines for Designated Experts .............................26 11. IANA Considerations ...........................................27 11.1. PRECIS Derived Property Value Registry ...................27 11.2. PRECIS Base Classes Registry .............................27 11.3. PRECIS Profiles Registry .................................28 12. Security Considerations .......................................29 12.1. General Issues ...........................................29 12.2. Use of the IdentifierClass ...............................30 12.3. Use of the FreeformClass .................................30 12.4. Local Character Set Issues ...............................31 12.5. Visually Similar Characters ..............................31 12.6. Security of Passwords ....................................33 13. Interoperability Considerations ...............................34 13.1. Encoding .................................................34 13.2. Character Sets ...........................................34 13.3. Unicode Versions .........................................34 13.4. Potential Changes to Handling of Certain Unicode Code Points ..............................................34 14. References ....................................................35 14.1. Normative References .....................................35 14.2. Informative References ...................................36 Acknowledgements ..................................................40 Authors' Addresses ................................................40
1. Introduction
Application protocols using Unicode characters [Unicode] in protocol strings need to properly handle such strings in order to enforce internationalization rules for strings placed in various protocol slots (such as addresses and identifiers) and to perform valid comparison operations (e.g., for purposes of authentication or authorization). This document defines a framework enabling application protocols to perform the preparation, enforcement, and comparison of internationalized strings ("PRECIS") in a way that depends on the properties of Unicode characters and thus is agile with respect to versions of Unicode. As described in the PRECIS problem statement [RFC6885], many IETF protocols have used the Stringprep framework [RFC3454] as the basis for preparing, enforcing, and comparing protocol strings that contain Unicode characters, especially characters outside the ASCII range [RFC20]. The Stringprep framework was developed during work on the original technology for internationalized domain names (IDNs), here called "IDNA2003" [RFC3490], and Nameprep [RFC3491] was the Stringprep profile for IDNs. At the time, Stringprep was designed as a general framework so that other application protocols could define their own Stringprep profiles. Indeed, a number of application protocols defined such profiles. After the publication of [RFC3454] in 2002, several significant issues arose with the use of Stringprep in the IDN case, as documented in the IAB's recommendations regarding IDNs [RFC4690] (most significantly, Stringprep was tied to Unicode version 3.2). Therefore, the newer IDNA specifications, here called "IDNA2008" ([RFC5890], [RFC5891], [RFC5892], [RFC5893], [RFC5894]), no longer use Stringprep and Nameprep. This migration away from Stringprep for IDNs prompted other "customers" of Stringprep to consider new approaches to the preparation, enforcement, and comparison of internationalized strings, as described in [RFC6885].
This document defines a framework for a post-Stringprep approach to
the preparation, enforcement, and comparison of internationalized
strings in application protocols, based on several principles:
1. Define a small set of string classes that specify the Unicode
characters (i.e., specific "code points") appropriate for common
application protocol constructs.
2. Define each PRECIS string class in terms of Unicode code points
and their properties so that an algorithm can be used to
determine whether each code point or character category is
(a) valid, (b) allowed in certain contexts, (c) disallowed, or
(d) unassigned.
3. Use an "inclusion model" such that a string class consists only
of code points that are explicitly allowed, with the result that
any code point not explicitly allowed is forbidden.
4. Enable application protocols to define profiles of the PRECIS
string classes if necessary (addressing matters such as width
mapping, case mapping, Unicode normalization, and directionality)
but strongly discourage the multiplication of profiles beyond
necessity in order to avoid violations of the "Principle of Least
Astonishment".
It is expected that this framework will yield the following benefits:
o Application protocols will be agile with regard to Unicode
versions.
o Implementers will be able to share code point tables and software
code across application protocols, most likely by means of
software libraries.
o End users will be able to acquire more accurate expectations about
the characters that are acceptable in various contexts. Given
this more uniform set of string classes, it is also expected that
copy/paste operations between software implementing different
application protocols will be more predictable and coherent.
Whereas the string classes define the "baseline" code points for a
range of applications, profiling enables application protocols to
apply the string classes in ways that are appropriate for common
constructs such as usernames [PRECIS-Users-Pwds], opaque strings such
as passwords [PRECIS-Users-Pwds], and nicknames [PRECIS-Nickname].
Profiles are responsible for defining the handling of right-to-left
characters as well as various mapping operations of the kind also
discussed for IDNs in [RFC5895], such as case preservation or
lowercasing, Unicode normalization, mapping of certain characters to
other characters or to nothing, and mapping of fullwidth and
halfwidth characters.
When an application applies a profile of a PRECIS string class, it
transforms an input string (which might or might not be conforming)
into an output string that definitively conforms to the profile. In
particular, this document focuses on the resulting ability to achieve
the following objectives:
a. Enforcing all the rules of a profile for a single output string
(e.g., to determine if a string can be included in a protocol
slot, communicated to another entity within a protocol, stored in
a retrieval system, etc.).
b. Comparing two output strings to determine if they are equivalent,
typically through octet-for-octet matching to test for
"bit-string identity" (e.g., to make an access decision for
purposes of authentication or authorization as further described
in [RFC6943]).
The opportunity to define profiles naturally introduces the
possibility of a proliferation of profiles, thus potentially
mitigating the benefits of common code and violating user
expectations. See Section 5 for a discussion of this important
topic.
In addition, it is extremely important for protocol designers and
application developers to understand that the transformation of an
input string to an output string is rarely reversible. As one
relatively simple example, case mapping would transform an input
string of "StPeter" to "stpeter", and information about the
capitalization of the first and third characters would be lost.
Similar considerations apply to other forms of mapping and
normalization.
Although this framework is similar to IDNA2008 and includes by
reference some of the character categories defined in [RFC5892], it
defines additional character categories to meet the needs of common
application protocols other than DNS.
The character categories and calculation rules defined under
Sections 8 and 9 are normative and apply to all Unicode code points.
The code point table that results from applying the character
categories and calculation rules to the latest version of Unicode can
be found in an IANA registry.
2. Terminology
Many important terms used in this document are defined in [RFC5890], [RFC6365], [RFC6885], and [Unicode]. The terms "left-to-right" (LTR) and "right-to-left" (RTL) are defined in Unicode Standard Annex #9 [UAX9]. As of the date of writing, the version of Unicode published by the Unicode Consortium is 7.0 [Unicode7.0]; however, PRECIS is not tied to a specific version of Unicode. The latest version of Unicode is always available [Unicode]. The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].3. Preparation, Enforcement, and Comparison
This document distinguishes between three different actions that an entity can take with regard to a string: o Enforcement entails applying all of the rules specified for a particular string class or profile thereof to an individual string, for the purpose of determining if the string can be used in a given protocol slot. o Comparison entails applying all of the rules specified for a particular string class or profile thereof to two separate strings, for the purpose of determining if the two strings are equivalent. o Preparation entails only ensuring that the characters in an individual string are allowed by the underlying PRECIS string class. In most cases, authoritative entities such as servers are responsible for enforcement, whereas subsidiary entities such as clients are responsible only for preparation. The rationale for this distinction is that clients might not have the facilities (in terms of device memory and processing power) to enforce all the rules regarding internationalized strings (such as width mapping and Unicode normalization), although they can more easily limit the repertoire of characters they offer to an end user. By contrast, it is assumed that a server would have more capacity to enforce the rules, and in any case acts as an authority regarding allowable strings in protocol slots such as addresses and endpoint identifiers. In addition, a
client cannot necessarily be trusted to properly generate such strings, especially for security-sensitive contexts such as authentication and authorization.4. String Classes
4.1. Overview
Starting in 2010, various "customers" of Stringprep began to discuss the need to define a post-Stringprep approach to the preparation and comparison of internationalized strings other than IDNs. This community analyzed the existing Stringprep profiles and also weighed the costs and benefits of defining a relatively small set of Unicode characters that would minimize the potential for user confusion caused by visually similar characters (and thus be relatively "safe") vs. defining a much larger set of Unicode characters that would maximize the potential for user creativity (and thus be relatively "expressive"). As a result, the community concluded that most existing uses could be addressed by two string classes: IdentifierClass: a sequence of letters, numbers, and some symbols that is used to identify or address a network entity such as a user account, a venue (e.g., a chatroom), an information source (e.g., a data feed), or a collection of data (e.g., a file); the intent is that this class will minimize user confusion in a wide variety of application protocols, with the result that safety has been prioritized over expressiveness for this class. FreeformClass: a sequence of letters, numbers, symbols, spaces, and other characters that is used for free-form strings, including passwords as well as display elements such as human-friendly nicknames for devices or for participants in a chatroom; the intent is that this class will allow nearly any Unicode character, with the result that expressiveness has been prioritized over safety for this class. Note well that protocol designers, application developers, service providers, and end users might not understand or be able to enter all of the characters that can be included in the FreeformClass -- see Section 12.3 for details. Future specifications might define additional PRECIS string classes, such as a class that falls somewhere between the IdentifierClass and the FreeformClass. At this time, it is not clear how useful such a class would be. In any case, because application developers are able to define profiles of PRECIS string classes, a protocol needing a construct between the IdentifierClass and the FreeformClass could define a restricted profile of the FreeformClass if needed.
The following subsections discuss the IdentifierClass and FreeformClass in more detail, with reference to the dimensions described in Section 5 of [RFC6885]. Each string class is defined by the following behavioral rules: Valid: Defines which code points are treated as valid for the string. Contextual Rule Required: Defines which code points are treated as allowed only if the requirements of a contextual rule are met (i.e., either CONTEXTJ or CONTEXTO). Disallowed: Defines which code points need to be excluded from the string. Unassigned: Defines application behavior in the presence of code points that are unknown (i.e., not yet designated) for the version of Unicode used by the application. This document defines the valid, contextual rule required, disallowed, and unassigned rules for the IdentifierClass and FreeformClass. As described under Section 5, profiles of these string classes are responsible for defining the width mapping, additional mappings, case mapping, normalization, and directionality rules.4.2. IdentifierClass
Most application technologies need strings that can be used to refer to, include, or communicate protocol strings like usernames, filenames, data feed identifiers, and chatroom names. We group such strings into a class called "IdentifierClass" having the following features.4.2.1. Valid
o Code points traditionally used as letters and numbers in writing systems, i.e., the LetterDigits ("A") category first defined in [RFC5892] and listed here under Section 9.1. o Code points in the range U+0021 through U+007E, i.e., the (printable) ASCII7 ("K") category defined under Section 9.11. These code points are "grandfathered" into PRECIS and thus are valid even if they would otherwise be disallowed according to the property-based rules specified in the next section.
Note: Although the PRECIS IdentifierClass reuses the LetterDigits
category from IDNA2008, the range of characters allowed in the
IdentifierClass is wider than the range of characters allowed in
IDNA2008. The main reason is that IDNA2008 applies the Unstable
category before the LetterDigits category, thus disallowing
uppercase characters, whereas the IdentifierClass does not apply
the Unstable category.
4.2.2. Contextual Rule Required
o A number of characters from the Exceptions ("F") category defined
under Section 9.6 (see Section 9.6 for a full list).
o Joining characters, i.e., the JoinControl ("H") category defined
under Section 9.8.
4.2.3. Disallowed
o Old Hangul Jamo characters, i.e., the OldHangulJamo ("I") category
defined under Section 9.9.
o Control characters, i.e., the Controls ("L") category defined
under Section 9.12.
o Ignorable characters, i.e., the PrecisIgnorableProperties ("M")
category defined under Section 9.13.
o Space characters, i.e., the Spaces ("N") category defined under
Section 9.14.
o Symbol characters, i.e., the Symbols ("O") category defined under
Section 9.15.
o Punctuation characters, i.e., the Punctuation ("P") category
defined under Section 9.16.
o Any character that has a compatibility equivalent, i.e., the
HasCompat ("Q") category defined under Section 9.17. These code
points are disallowed even if they would otherwise be valid
according to the property-based rules specified in the previous
section.
o Letters and digits other than the "traditional" letters and digits
allowed in IDNs, i.e., the OtherLetterDigits ("R") category
defined under Section 9.18.
4.2.4. Unassigned
Any code points that are not yet designated in the Unicode character set are considered unassigned for purposes of the IdentifierClass, and such code points are to be treated as disallowed. See Section 9.10.4.2.5. Examples
As described in the Introduction to this document, the string classes do not handle all issues related to string preparation and comparison (such as case mapping); instead, such issues are handled at the level of profiles. Examples for profiles of the IdentifierClass can be found in [PRECIS-Users-Pwds] (the UsernameCaseMapped and UsernameCasePreserved profiles).4.3. FreeformClass
Some application technologies need strings that can be used in a free-form way, e.g., as a password in an authentication exchange (see [PRECIS-Users-Pwds]) or a nickname in a chatroom (see [PRECIS-Nickname]). We group such things into a class called "FreeformClass" having the following features. Security Warning: As mentioned, the FreeformClass prioritizes expressiveness over safety; Section 12.3 describes some of the security hazards involved with using or profiling the FreeformClass. Security Warning: Consult Section 12.6 for relevant security considerations when strings conforming to the FreeformClass, or a profile thereof, are used as passwords.4.3.1. Valid
o Traditional letters and numbers, i.e., the LetterDigits ("A") category first defined in [RFC5892] and listed here under Section 9.1. o Letters and digits other than the "traditional" letters and digits allowed in IDNs, i.e., the OtherLetterDigits ("R") category defined under Section 9.18. o Code points in the range U+0021 through U+007E, i.e., the (printable) ASCII7 ("K") category defined under Section 9.11. o Any character that has a compatibility equivalent, i.e., the HasCompat ("Q") category defined under Section 9.17.
o Space characters, i.e., the Spaces ("N") category defined under
Section 9.14.
o Symbol characters, i.e., the Symbols ("O") category defined under
Section 9.15.
o Punctuation characters, i.e., the Punctuation ("P") category
defined under Section 9.16.
4.3.2. Contextual Rule Required
o A number of characters from the Exceptions ("F") category defined
under Section 9.6 (see Section 9.6 for a full list).
o Joining characters, i.e., the JoinControl ("H") category defined
under Section 9.8.
4.3.3. Disallowed
o Old Hangul Jamo characters, i.e., the OldHangulJamo ("I") category
defined under Section 9.9.
o Control characters, i.e., the Controls ("L") category defined
under Section 9.12.
o Ignorable characters, i.e., the PrecisIgnorableProperties ("M")
category defined under Section 9.13.
4.3.4. Unassigned
Any code points that are not yet designated in the Unicode character
set are considered unassigned for purposes of the FreeformClass, and
such code points are to be treated as disallowed.
4.3.5. Examples
As described in the Introduction to this document, the string classes
do not handle all issues related to string preparation and comparison
(such as case mapping); instead, such issues are handled at the level
of profiles. Examples for profiles of the FreeformClass can be found
in [PRECIS-Users-Pwds] (the OpaqueString profile) and
[PRECIS-Nickname] (the Nickname profile).
5. Profiles
This framework document defines the valid, contextual-rule-required, disallowed, and unassigned rules for the IdentifierClass and the FreeformClass. A profile of a PRECIS string class MUST define the width mapping, additional mappings (if any), case mapping, normalization, and directionality rules. A profile MAY also restrict the allowable characters above and beyond the definition of the relevant PRECIS string class (but MUST NOT add as valid any code points that are disallowed by the relevant PRECIS string class). These matters are discussed in the following subsections. Profiles of the PRECIS string classes are registered with the IANA as described under Section 11.3. Profile names use the following convention: they are of the form "Profilename of BaseClass", where the "Profilename" string is a differentiator and "BaseClass" is the name of the PRECIS string class being profiled; for example, the profile of the FreeformClass used for opaque strings such as passwords is the OpaqueString profile [PRECIS-Users-Pwds].5.1. Profiles Must Not Be Multiplied beyond Necessity
The risk of profile proliferation is significant because having too many profiles will result in different behavior across various applications, thus violating what is known in user interface design as the "Principle of Least Astonishment". Indeed, we already have too many profiles. Ideally we would have at most two or three profiles. Unfortunately, numerous application protocols exist with their own quirks regarding protocol strings. Domain names, email addresses, instant messaging addresses, chatroom nicknames, filenames, authentication identifiers, passwords, and other strings are already out there in the wild and need to be supported in existing application protocols such as DNS, SMTP, the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), Internet Relay Chat (IRC), NFS, the Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI), the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), and the Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL), among others. Nevertheless, profiles must not be multiplied beyond necessity. To help prevent profile proliferation, this document recommends sensible defaults for the various options offered to profile creators (such as width mapping and Unicode normalization). In addition, the guidelines for designated experts provided under Section 10 are meant to encourage a high level of due diligence regarding new profiles.
5.2. Rules
5.2.1. Width Mapping Rule
The width mapping rule of a profile specifies whether width mapping is performed on the characters of a string, and how the mapping is done. Typically, such mapping consists of mapping fullwidth and halfwidth characters, i.e., code points with a Decomposition Type of Wide or Narrow, to their decomposition mappings; as an example, FULLWIDTH DIGIT ZERO (U+FF10) would be mapped to DIGIT ZERO (U+0030). The normalization form specified by a profile (see below) has an impact on the need for width mapping. Because width mapping is performed as a part of compatibility decomposition, a profile employing either normalization form KD (NFKD) or normalization form KC (NFKC) does not need to specify width mapping. However, if Unicode normalization form C (NFC) is used (as is recommended) then the profile needs to specify whether to apply width mapping; in this case, width mapping is in general RECOMMENDED because allowing fullwidth and halfwidth characters to remain unmapped to their compatibility variants would violate the "Principle of Least Astonishment". For more information about the concept of width in East Asian scripts within Unicode, see Unicode Standard Annex #11 [UAX11].5.2.2. Additional Mapping Rule
The additional mapping rule of a profile specifies whether additional mappings are performed on the characters of a string, such as: Mapping of delimiter characters (such as '@', ':', '/', '+', and '-') Mapping of special characters (e.g., non-ASCII space characters to ASCII space or control characters to nothing). The PRECIS mappings document [PRECIS-Mappings] describes such mappings in more detail.5.2.3. Case Mapping Rule
The case mapping rule of a profile specifies whether case mapping (instead of case preservation) is performed on the characters of a string, and how the mapping is applied (e.g., mapping uppercase and titlecase characters to their lowercase equivalents).
If case mapping is desired (instead of case preservation), it is RECOMMENDED to use Unicode Default Case Folding as defined in the Unicode Standard [Unicode] (at the time of this writing, the algorithm is specified in Chapter 3 of [Unicode7.0]). Note: Unicode Default Case Folding is not designed to handle various localization issues (such as so-called "dotless i" in several Turkic languages). The PRECIS mappings document [PRECIS-Mappings] describes these issues in greater detail and defines a "local case mapping" method that handles some locale- dependent and context-dependent mappings. In order to maximize entropy and minimize the potential for false positives, it is NOT RECOMMENDED for application protocols to map uppercase and titlecase code points to their lowercase equivalents when strings conforming to the FreeformClass, or a profile thereof, are used in passwords; instead, it is RECOMMENDED to preserve the case of all code points contained in such strings and then perform case-sensitive comparison. See also the related discussion in Section 12.6 and in [PRECIS-Users-Pwds].5.2.4. Normalization Rule
The normalization rule of a profile specifies which Unicode normalization form (D, KD, C, or KC) is to be applied (see Unicode Standard Annex #15 [UAX15] for background information). In accordance with [RFC5198], normalization form C (NFC) is RECOMMENDED.5.2.5. Directionality Rule
The directionality rule of a profile specifies how to treat strings containing what are often called "right-to-left" (RTL) characters (see Unicode Standard Annex #9 [UAX9]). RTL characters come from scripts that are normally written from right to left and are considered by Unicode to, themselves, have right-to-left directionality. Some strings containing RTL characters also contain "left-to-right" (LTR) characters, such as numerals, as well as characters without directional properties. Consequently, such strings are known as "bidirectional strings". Presenting bidirectional strings in different layout systems (e.g., a user interface that is configured to handle primarily an RTL script vs. an interface that is configured to handle primarily an LTR script) can yield display results that, while predictable to those who understand the display rules, are counter-intuitive to casual users. In particular, the same bidirectional string (in PRECIS
terms) might not be presented in the same way to users of those different layout systems, even though the presentation is consistent within any particular layout system. In some applications, these presentation differences might be considered problematic and thus the application designers might wish to restrict the use of bidirectional strings by specifying a directionality rule. In other applications, these presentation differences might not be considered problematic (this especially tends to be true of more "free-form" strings) and thus no directionality rule is needed. The PRECIS framework does not directly address how to deal with bidirectional strings across all string classes and profiles, and does not define any new directionality rules, since at present there is no widely accepted and implemented solution for the safe display of arbitrary bidirectional strings beyond the Unicode bidirectional algorithm [UAX9]. Although rules for management and display of bidirectional strings have been defined for domain name labels and similar identifiers through the "Bidi Rule" specified in the IDNA2008 specification on right-to-left scripts [RFC5893], those rules are quite restrictive and are not necessarily applicable to all bidirectional strings. The authors of a PRECIS profile might believe that they need to define a new directionality rule of their own. Because of the complexity of the issues involved, such a belief is almost always misguided, even if the authors have done a great deal of careful research into the challenges of displaying bidirectional strings. This document strongly suggests that profile authors who are thinking about defining a new directionality rule think again, and instead consider using the "Bidi Rule" [RFC5893] (for profiles based on the IdentifierClass) or following the Unicode bidirectional algorithm [UAX9] (for profiles based on the FreeformClass or in situations where the IdentifierClass is not appropriate).5.3. A Note about Spaces
With regard to the IdentifierClass, the consensus of the PRECIS Working Group was that spaces are problematic for many reasons, including the following: o Many Unicode characters are confusable with ASCII space. o Even if non-ASCII space characters are mapped to ASCII space (U+0020), space characters are often not rendered in user interfaces, leading to the possibility that a human user might consider a string containing spaces to be equivalent to the same string without spaces.
o In some locales, some devices are known to generate a character
other than ASCII space (such as ZERO WIDTH JOINER, U+200D) when a
user performs an action like hitting the space bar on a keyboard.
One consequence of disallowing space characters in the
IdentifierClass might be to effectively discourage their use within
identifiers created in newer application protocols; given the
challenges involved with properly handling space characters
(especially non-ASCII space characters) in identifiers and other
protocol strings, the PRECIS Working Group considered this to be a
feature, not a bug.
However, the FreeformClass does allow spaces, which enables
application protocols to define profiles of the FreeformClass that
are more flexible than any profiles of the IdentifierClass. In
addition, as explained in Section 6.3, application protocols can also
define application-layer constructs containing spaces.
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