RFC 2482 (rfc2482) - Page 2 of 14

Language Tagging in Unicode Plain Text

RFC 2482         Language Tagging in Unicode Plain Text     January 1999


   awaits formal acceptance by ISO JTC1/SC2/WG2, the working group
   responsible for ISO10646. Potential implementers should be aware that
   until this formal acceptance occurs, any usage of the characters
   proposed herein is strictly experimental and not sanctioned for
   standardized character data interchange.

2.  Definitions and Notation

   No attempt is made to define all terms used in this document. In
   particular, the terminology pertaining to the subject of coded
   character systems is not explicitly specified. See [UNICODE],
   [ISO10646], and [RFC 2130] for additional definitions in this area.

2.1 Requirements Notation

   This document occasionally uses terms that appear in capital letters.
   When the terms "MUST", "SHOULD", "MUST NOT", "SHOULD NOT", and "MAY"
   appear capitalized, they are being used to indicate particular
   requirements of this specification. A discussion of the meanings of
   these terms appears in [RFC 2119].

2.2 Definitions

   The terms defined below are used in special senses and thus warrant
   some clarification.

2.2.1 Tagging

   The association of attributes of text with a point or range of the
   primary text. (The value of a particular tag is not generally
   considered to be a part of the "content" of the text. Typical
   examples of tagging is to mark language or font of a portion of
   text.)

2.2.2 Annotation

   The association of secondary textual content with a point or range of
   the primary text. (The value of a particular annotation *is*
   considered to be a part of the "content" of the text. Typical
   examples include glossing, citations, exemplication, Japanese yomi,
   etc.)

2.2.3 Out-of-band

   An out-of-band channel conveys a tag in such a way that the textual
   content, as encoded, is completely untouched and unmodified. This is
   typically done by metadata or hyperstructure of some sort.




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