Unfold lines before reading values
02A physical line can continue onto the next line. Folding changes the file layout while preserving the logical line and its value.
description: with a newline represents one zero-length value. A blank line ends the record instead. An orphan continuation or a fold before the first character is outside the syntax, not an extra empty value.
Source for this drawing: RFC 2849 · Read RFC source: Syntax notes 1–5 and examples 1–2 ↗
New to this? Start hereA quick picture + helpful background
A message needs an address.
Think of a packet as a small addressed envelope. Devices pass it onward; transport protocols decide what delivery promises an application gets.
Helpful first, if these ideas are unfamiliar
These pictures are analogies to help you learn. The linked RFC explains the actual rules.
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Related RFCs and changes
“Updates” changes part of an earlier RFC. “Obsoletes” replaces it. This list shows selected related documents.
A non-empty line, including a comment, MAY be folded using a line separator and SPACE. Folding MUST NOT occur before its first character.
- A non-empty line, including a comment, MAY be folded using a line separator and SPACE. Folding MUST NOT occur before its first character.
- A leading SPACE marks continuation. Discard exactly one such SPACE when joining; remaining spaces are data. Implementations SHOULD NOT split a multi-byte UTF-8 character.
- Lines beginning with # MUST be ignored as comments. An empty attribute value is written as name: followed by optional spaces and a newline; it differs from a missing attribute or a blank record separator.
Fictional directory data. Fragments illustrate the format; no file, URL or directory is accessed. Import outcomes still depend on schema, permissions and server support.
Read the RFC section ↗