superfluous(?) quotes in mail alias expansion

superfluous(?) quotes in mail alias expansion

[Gregor Zattler]

Dear Emacs users and developers,

the fine manual has this to say regarding mail aliases:

   If an address contains a space, quote the whole
   address with a pair of double quotes, like this:

        alias jsmith "John Q. Smith <none@example.com>"

   Note that you need not include double quotes around
   individual parts of the address, such as the
   person’s full name.  Emacs puts them in if they are
   needed.  For instance, it inserts the above address
   as ‘"John Q. Smith" <none@example.com>’.

This describes correctly how this mechanism works,
regarding it's outcome, but not why.

I understand it's necessary to somehow mark in the
alias definition where an address starts and ends,
since there can be several.

But I don't know why it's "needed" to put quotes around
the

John Q. Smith

part of the address.  Actually they seem to be
superfluous and aesthetically not pleasing.  To me it
seems as quotes would be only needed if the string
contained `@' or `,'!?

Are the quotes really necessary (for what) and if not:
Is it possible to get rid of the Quotes?

Thanks, Gregor

Re: superfluous(?) quotes in mail alias expansion

[Emanuel Berg]

Gregor Zattler wrote:

> the fine manual has this to say regarding mail aliases:
>
>    If an address contains a space, quote the whole
>    address with a pair of double quotes, like this:
>
>         alias jsmith "John Q. Smith <none@example.com>"
>
>    Note that you need not include double quotes around
>    individual parts of the address, such as the
>    person’s full name.  Emacs puts them in if they are
>    needed.  For instance, it inserts the above address
>    as ‘"John Q. Smith" <none@example.com>’.
>
> This describes correctly how this mechanism works,
> regarding it's outcome, but not why.

In the data file, it's just so it can be parsed. When it gets
inserted, quotes are added if they are needed.

Try putting it like this in ~/.mailrc:

alias jsmith-1 "John Q. Smith <none@example.com>"
alias jsmith-2 "John Q Smith <none@example.com>"
alias jsmith jsmith-1 jsmith-2

then expand both with "jsmith", it will look like this:

To: "John Q. Smith" <none@example.com>,
 John Q Smith <none@example.com>

Quotes inserted (because of the dot) in the first case, not in
the second as not needed.

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: superfluous(?) quotes in mail alias expansion

[Gregor Zattler]

Hi Emanuel,
* Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org> [2023-03-21; 15:24 +01]:
> Gregor Zattler wrote:
>
>> the fine manual has this to say regarding mail aliases:
>>
>>    If an address contains a space, quote the whole
>>    address with a pair of double quotes, like this:
>>
>>         alias jsmith "John Q. Smith <none@example.com>"
>>
>>    Note that you need not include double quotes around
>>    individual parts of the address, such as the
>>    person’s full name.  Emacs puts them in if they are
>>    needed.  For instance, it inserts the above address
>>    as ‘"John Q. Smith" <none@example.com>’.
>>
>> This describes correctly how this mechanism works,
>> regarding it's outcome, but not why.
>
> In the data file, it's just so it can be parsed. When it gets
> inserted, quotes are added if they are needed.
>
> Try putting it like this in ~/.mailrc:
>
> alias jsmith-1 "John Q. Smith <none@example.com>"
> alias jsmith-2 "John Q Smith <none@example.com>"
> alias jsmith jsmith-1 jsmith-2
>
> then expand both with "jsmith", it will look like this:
>
> To: "John Q. Smith" <none@example.com>,
>  John Q Smith <none@example.com>
>
> Quotes inserted (because of the dot) in the first case, not in
> the second as not needed.

I see, thanks.  But why does the dot need quoting?  I
tried to understand RFC 5322 section 3.4, and 4.1 which
if I understand correctly allowed for a dot at this
part of the To: Header, but only so since ~10 years.

OK, I'm convinced that it then is more conservative to
send with the quotes.

Anyway I did a test: An email from one system to
another with

John Q. Smith

unquoted in the To: header arrived.  The display-name
part was not quoted in the copy which came through all
the smtp hops.  But notmuch as mutt show this message
with quotes around the display-name.


Goodbye, Gregor

Re: superfluous(?) quotes in mail alias expansion

[Byung-Hee HWANG]

Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org> writes:

> (...)
> Try putting it like this in ~/.mailrc:
>
> alias jsmith-1 "John Q. Smith <none@example.com>"
> alias jsmith-2 "John Q Smith <none@example.com>"
> alias jsmith jsmith-1 jsmith-2
>
> then expand both with "jsmith", it will look like this:
>
> To: "John Q. Smith" <none@example.com>,
>  John Q Smith <none@example.com>
>
> (...)

Oh good tutorial! I also like ~/.mailrc ;;;

Sincerely,

-- 
^고맙습니다 _地平天成_ 감사합니다_^))//