IMAP4 non-synchronizing literals

IMAP4 non-synchronizing literals Status of this Memo This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. 1. Abstract The Internet Message Access Protocol [IMAP4] contains the "literal" syntactic construct for communicating strings. When sending a literal from client to server, IMAP4 requires the client to wait for the server to send a command continuation request between sending the octet count and the string data. This document specifies an alternate form of literal which does not require this network round trip. 2. Conventions Used in this Document In examples, "C:" and "S:" indicate lines sent by the client and server respectively. 3. Specification The non-synchronizing literal is added an alternate form of literal, and may appear in communication from client to server instead of the IMAP4 form of literal. The IMAP4 form of literal, used in communication from client to server, is referred to as a synchronizing literal. Non-synchronizing literals may be used with any IMAP4 server implementation which returns "LITERAL+" as one of the supported capabilities to the CAPABILITY command. If the server does not advertise the LITERAL+ capability, the client must use synchronizing literals instead. The non-synchronizing literal is distinguished from the original synchronizing literal by having a plus ('+') between the octet count and the closing brace ('}'). The server does not generate a command continuation request in response to a non-synchronizing literal, and Myers Standards Track [Page 1]