Added documentation of features, acknowledgements

[users/jgh/exim.git] / doc / doc-txt / README.SIEVE

diff --git a/doc/doc-txt/README.SIEVE b/doc/doc-txt/README.SIEVE
index 1c8a0ebc936559130164026a338436f89cf45c98..9b22745eaf3f600ee72b56661c281f796f3a50cc 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/doc-txt/README.SIEVE
+++ b/doc/doc-txt/README.SIEVE
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-$Cambridge: exim/doc/doc-txt/README.SIEVE,v 1.7 2005/08/30 10:55:52 ph10 Exp $
-

               Notes on the Sieve implementation for Exim
 
 Exim Filter Versus Sieve Filter
               Notes on the Sieve implementation for Exim
 
 Exim Filter Versus Sieve Filter


@@ -13,18 +11,20 @@ The Exim filter contains more features, such as variable expansion, and
 better integration with the host environment, like external processes
 and pipes.
 
 better integration with the host environment, like external processes
 and pipes.
 

-Sieve is a standard for interoperable filters, defined in RFC 3028,
+Sieve is a standard for interoperable filters, defined in RFC 5228,

 with multiple implementations around. If interoperability is important,
 then there is no way around it.
 
 
 Exim Implementation
 
 with multiple implementations around. If interoperability is important,
 then there is no way around it.
 
 
 Exim Implementation
 

-The Exim Sieve implementation offers the core as defined by draft
-3028bis-4 (next version of RFC 3028 that fixes specification mistakes),
-the "envelope" (3028bis), the "fileinto" (3028bis), the "copy" (RFC 3894)
-and the "vacation" (draft-ietf-sieve-vacation-02.txt) extension, the
-"i;ascii-numeric" comparator (RFC 2244).
+The Exim Sieve implementation offers the core as defined by RFC 5228,
+the "encoded-character" extension (RFC 5228), the "envelope" test (RFC
+5228), the "fileinto" action (5228), the "copy" parameter (RFC 3894), the
+"vacation" action (5230), the "notify" action (draft-ietf-sieve-notify-12)
+with mailto URIs (draft-ietf-sieve-notify-mailto-05), the
+"i;ascii-numeric" comparator (RFC 2244) and the subaddress parameter
+(RFC 5233).

 
 The Sieve filter is integrated in Exim and works very similar to the
 Exim filter: Sieve scripts are recognized by the first line containing
 
 The Sieve filter is integrated in Exim and works very similar to the
 Exim filter: Sieve scripts are recognized by the first line containing


@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Exim requires the first line to be "# sieve filter".  Of course the RFC
 does not enforce that line.  Don't expect examples to work without adding
 it, though.
 
 does not enforce that line.  Don't expect examples to work without adding
 it, though.
 

-RFC 3028 requires using CRLF to terminate the end of a line.
+RFC 5228 requires using CRLF to terminate the end of a line.

 The rationale was that CRLF is universally used in network protocols
 to mark the end of the line.  This implementation does not embed Sieve
 in a network protocol, but uses Sieve scripts as part of the Exim MTA.
 The rationale was that CRLF is universally used in network protocols
 to mark the end of the line.  This implementation does not embed Sieve
 in a network protocol, but uses Sieve scripts as part of the Exim MTA.


@@ -103,23 +103,19 @@ Since all parts of Exim use \n as newline character, this implementation
 does, too.  You can change this by defining the macro RFC_EOL at compile
 time to enforce CRLF being used.
 
 does, too.  You can change this by defining the macro RFC_EOL at compile
 time to enforce CRLF being used.
 

-Sieve scripts can not contain NUL characters in strings, but mail
-headers could contain MIME encoded NUL characters, which could never
-be matched by Sieve scripts using exact comparisons.  For that reason,
-this implementation extends the Sieve quoted string syntax with \0
-to describe a NUL character, violating \0 being the same as 0 in
-RFC 3028.
-

 The folder specified by "fileinto" must not contain the character
 The folder specified by "fileinto" must not contain the character

-sequence ".." to avoid security problems.  RFC 3028 does not specify the
+sequence ".." to avoid security problems.  RFC 5228 does not specify the

 syntax of folders apart from keep being equivalent to fileinto "INBOX".
 This implementation uses "inbox" instead.
 
 Sieve script errors currently cause that messages are silently filed into
 syntax of folders apart from keep being equivalent to fileinto "INBOX".
 This implementation uses "inbox" instead.
 
 Sieve script errors currently cause that messages are silently filed into

-"inbox".  RFC 3028 requires that the user is notified of that condition.
+"inbox".  RFC 5228 requires that the user is notified of that condition.

 This may be implemented in future by adding a header line to mails that
 are filed into "inbox" due to an error in the filter.
 
 This may be implemented in future by adding a header line to mails that
 are filed into "inbox" due to an error in the filter.
 

+The automatic replies generated by "vacation" do not contain an updated
+"references" header field.
+

 
 Semantics Of Keep
 
 
 Semantics Of Keep
 


@@ -129,35 +125,45 @@ implicit keep flag; there is no command to set it once it has
 been reset.
 
 
 been reset.
 
 

-Semantics of Fileinto
+Semantics Of Fileinto

 
 

-RFC 3028 does not specify if "fileinto" tries to create a mail folder,
+RFC 5228 does not specify if "fileinto" tries to create a mail folder,

 in case it does not exist.  This implementation allows to configure
 that aspect using the appendfile transport options "create_directory",
 "create_file" and "file_must_exist".  See the appendfile transport in
 the Exim specification for details.
 
 
 in case it does not exist.  This implementation allows to configure
 that aspect using the appendfile transport options "create_directory",
 "create_file" and "file_must_exist".  See the appendfile transport in
 the Exim specification for details.
 
 

-Sieve Syntax and Semantics
+Allof And Anyof Test
+
+RFC 5228 does not specify if these tests use shortcut/lazy evaluation.
+Exim uses shortcut evaluation.
+

 
 

-RFC 3028 confuses syntax and semantics sometimes.  It uses a generic
-grammar as syntax for commands and tests and performs many checks during
-semantic analysis.  Syntax is specified by grammar rules, semantics
-by natural language, despite the latter often talking about syntax.
-The intention was to provide a framework for the syntax that describes
-current commands as well as future extensions, and describing commands
-by semantics.
+Action Reordering

 
 

-The following replacement for section 8.2 gives two grammars, one for
-the framework, and one for specific commands, thus removing most of the
-semantic analysis.  Since the parser can not parse unsupported extensions,
-the result is strict error checking of any executed and not executed code
+RFC 5228 does not specify if actions may be executed out of order.
+Exim may execute them out of order, e.g. messages may be filed to
+folders or forwarded in a different order than specified, because
+those actions only setup delivery, but do not execute it themselves.
+
+
+Sieve Syntax And Semantics
+
+RFC 5228 uses a generic grammar as syntax for commands and tests and
+performs many checks during semantic analysis.  Syntax is specified
+by grammar rules, semantics by natural language.  The intention is to
+provide a framework for the syntax that describes current commands as
+well as future extensions, and describing commands by semantics.
+
+The following replacement for section 8.2 gives a grammar for specific
+commands of this implementation, thus removing most of the semantic
+analysis.  Since the parser can not parse unsupported extensions, the
+result is strict error checking of any executed and not executed code

 until "stop" is executed or the end of the script is reached.
 
 8.2. Grammar
 
 until "stop" is executed or the end of the script is reached.
 
 8.2. Grammar
 

-The atoms of the grammar are lexical tokens.  White space or comments may
-appear anywhere between lexical tokens, they are not part of the grammar.

 The grammar is specified in ABNF with two extensions to describe tagged
 arguments that can be reordered and grammar extensions: { } denotes a
 sequence of symbols that may appear in any order.  Example:
 The grammar is specified in ABNF with two extensions to describe tagged
 arguments that can be reordered and grammar extensions: { } denotes a
 sequence of symbols that may appear in any order.  Example:


@@ -178,21 +184,6 @@ is equivalent to
 
   start =  a b
 
 
   start =  a b
 

-All Sieve commands, including extensions, MUST be words of the following
-generic grammar with the start symbol "start".  They SHOULD be specified
-using a specific grammar, though.
-
-   argument        = string-list / number / tag
-   arguments       = *argument [test / test-list]
-   block           = "{" commands "}"
-   commands        = *command
-   string          = quoted-string / multi-line
-   string-list     = "[" string *("," string) "]" / string
-   test            = identifier arguments
-   test-list       = "(" test *("," test) ")"
-   command         = identifier arguments ( ";" / block )
-   start           = command
-

 The basic Sieve commands are specified using the following grammar, which
 language is a subset of the generic grammar above.  The start symbol is
 "start".
 The basic Sieve commands are specified using the following grammar, which
 language is a subset of the generic grammar above.  The start symbol is
 "start".


@@ -298,7 +289,7 @@ the UTF-8 reason is processed to compose the resulting message.
 
 Default Subject
 
 
 Default Subject
 

-The draft specifies that the default message subject is "Auto: " plus
+RFC 5230 specifies that the default message subject is "Auto: " plus

 the old subject.  Using this subject is dangerous, because many mailing
 lists verify addresses by sending a secret key in the subject of a
 message, asking to reply to the message for confirmation.  Using the
 the old subject.  Using this subject is dangerous, because many mailing
 lists verify addresses by sending a secret key in the subject of a
 message, asking to reply to the message for confirmation.  Using the


@@ -329,3 +320,24 @@ Global Reply Address Blacklist
 The draft requires that each implementation offers a global black list
 of addresses that will never be replied to.  Exim offers this as option
 "never_mail" in the autoreply transport.
 The draft requires that each implementation offers a global black list
 of addresses that will never be replied to.  Exim offers this as option
 "never_mail" in the autoreply transport.

+
+
+The enotify extension
+
+The extension "enotify" is specified using the following grammar
+extension.
+
+  notify-command =  "notify" { notify-options } <method: string>
+  notify-options =  [":from" string]
+                    [":importance" <"1" / "2" / "3">]
+                    [":options" 1*(string-list / number)]
+                    [":message" string]
+
+  command          =/ notify-command
+
+  valid_notify_method = "valid_notify_method"
+                        <notification-uris: string-list>
+
+  test             =/ valid_notify_method
+
+Only the mailto URI scheme is implemented.