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6. IANA Considerations

This section establishes registries and registration procedures for link-related elements.

Registry: HTTP Message Header Registry
Entry: Link
Protocol: HTTP
Status: Standard

Registry Purpose​

Establishes the Link Relation Type Registry to replace Atom's "Registry of Link Relations" with broader scope.

6.2.1. Registration Process​

Requirements:

  • Designated Expert review
  • Specification Required (RFC 5226 terminology)
  • Typically published in RFC or Open Standard
  • Third-party registration allowed if widely deployed

Registration Template:

  • Relation Name
  • Description
  • Reference
  • Notes (optional)
  • Application Data (optional)

Submission Process:

  • Send to [email protected]
  • Mark subject clearly (e.g., "NEW RELATION - example")
  • Decision within 14 days
  • Appeals to Application Area Directors or IESG

6.2.2. Initial Registry Contents​

Common Registered Relations:

  • alternate - Substitute for link context
  • appendix - Refers to appendix
  • bookmark - Entry point
  • chapter - Chapter in collection
  • contents - Table of contents
  • copyright - Copyright statement
  • current - Current version
  • edit - Editable version
  • first - First in series
  • help - Help resource
  • icon - Icon representation
  • index - Index
  • last - Last in series
  • next - Next in sequence
  • prev / previous - Previous in sequence
  • self - Link to itself
  • stylesheet - Style sheet
  • up - Parent/superior resource

Purpose: Store application-specific metadata about relation types

Examples:

  • Browser archiving behavior
  • Security properties
  • Performance characteristics

Official Registry: IANA Link Relations

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