Registration Procedures for URL Scheme Names

This document defines the process by which new URL scheme names are registered. 1.0 Introduction A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a compact string representation of the location for a resource that is available via the Internet. RFC 2396 [1] defines the general syntax and semantics of URIs, and, by inclusion, URLs. URLs are designated by including a ":" and then a "". Many URL schemes are already defined, however, new schemes may need to be defined in the future in order to accommodate new Internet protocols and/or procedures. A registration process is needed to ensure that the names of all such new schemes are guaranteed not to collide. Further, the registration process ensures that URL schemes intended for wide spread, public use are developed in an orderly, well-specified, and public manner. This document defines the registration procedures to be followed when new URL schemes are created. A separate document, RFC [URL-GUIDELINES], Guidelines for URL Schemes [2], provides guidelines for the creation of new URL schemes. The primary focus of this document is on the portion of new URL schemes, referred to as the "scheme name" throughout this document. 2.0 URL Scheme Name Registration Trees 2.1 General In order to increase the efficiency and flexibility of the URL scheme name registration process, two different registration "trees" have been created. The registration requirements and specific registration procedures for each tree differ, allowing the overall registration procedure to accommodate the different natural requirements for URL schemes. For example, a scheme that will be recommended for wide support and implementation by the Internet community requires a more complete review than a scheme intended to be used for resources associated with proprietary software. The first step in registering a new URL scheme name is to determine which registration tree the scheme should be registered in. Determination of the proper registration tree is based on the intended use for the new scheme and the desired syntax for the scheme name. Note that some URL schemes defined prior to this document do not conform to the naming conventions described below. See Appendix A for a discussion of those schemes.