Subject: [media-types] Actualize Media-type declaration of MathML?

From: Paul Libbrecht <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2022 15:12:31 +0200

Dear IETF-Types mailing-list,

The W3C Math working group has, with MathML3, registered the three 
media-types related to MathML ([generic 
mathml](https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/mathml+xml), 
[mathml-content](https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/mathml-content+xml) 
and 
[mathml-presentation](https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/mathml-presentation+xml)).

The three URLs above are fine and do not need an update.
The [table of 
media-types](https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/media-types.xhtml), 
however, contains the URL of the MathML specification used to declare 
it.

The Math Working group of the W3C is working on MathML4 and its 
finalization would mean that the [MathML3 
Appendix](https://www.w3.org/TR/MathML3/appendixb.html) (as referenced 
in the table)  would show a big “obsolete” warning.

The working group would thus like to actualise the URL of the table to a 
URL that is not version dependent. As of today, it would be the 
[version-less appendix 
URL](https://www.w3.org/TR/MathML/appendixb.html).

- Can such a change be done?
- Is this part of the W3C-IANA liaison?
- We would like to make the change latest when MathML 4 enters the TR 
space. Would it be possible to do it earlier?

Thanks in advance.

Paul

---

From: Martin J. Dürst <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2022 09:05:11 +0900

Hello Paul,

https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6838.html#section-6.1 says (relevant 
part):

6.1.  Change Procedures

    Registrations may be updated in each registry by the same mechanism
    as required for an initial registration.

So I suggest you proceed accordingly, at an appropriate time.

> The three URLs above are fine and do not need an update.

Actually, e.g.
https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/mathml+xml 
contains "This media type registration is extracted from Appendix B of 
the Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) Version 3. specification.", 
which seems to need an update. Adding an URI for the spec would help 
there, too.

Regards,   Martin.

> however, contains the URL of the MathML specification used to declare it.
> 
> [version-less appendix URL](https://www.w3.org/TR/MathML/appendixb.html).
> 
> _______________________________________________
> media-types mailing list
> [email-masked]
> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/media-types

---

From: Harald Alvestrand <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2022 09:47:38 +0200

As a matter of principle, I think that IANA registrations should reflect 
the underlying specification at the time of registration or update of 
registration.

Thus, versionless links pointing to resources that are *expected* to be 
changed without notification to IANA should not be used in registration. 
(Since we use URLs at all, we cannot guard against accidental or 
malicious modification of resources - but we shouldn't do it deliberately.)

This is important in order to at least attempt to ensure that review of 
MIME type registrations has occured on what's currently the specification.

My opinion.

Harald

On 3/27/22 15:12, Paul Libbrecht wrote:
> media-types related to MathML (generic mathml 
> <https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/mathml+xml>, 
> mathml-content 
> <https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/mathml-content+xml> 
> and mathml-presentation 
> <https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/mathml-presentation+xml>).
>
> The table of media-types 
> <https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/media-types.xhtml>, 
> finalization would mean that the MathML3 Appendix 
> <https://www.w3.org/TR/MathML3/appendixb.html> (as referenced in the 
> table) would show a big “obsolete” warning.
>
> The working group would thus like to actualise the URL of the table to 
> a URL that is not version dependent. As of today, it would be the 
> version-less appendix URL <https://www.w3.org/TR/MathML/appendixb.html>.
>
>   * Can such a change be done?
>   * Is this part of the W3C-IANA liaison?
>   * We would like to make the change latest when MathML 4 enters the
>     TR space. Would it be possible to do it earlier?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Paul
>
>