RFC 1484 (rfc1484) - Page 3 of 25

Using the OSI Directory to achieve User Friendly Naming (OSI-DS 24 (v1

RFC 1484                  User Friendly Naming                 July 1993


   In very many cases, a user will be required to input a name.  This
   notation is designed to allow this to happen in a uniform manner
   across many user interfaces.  The intention is that the name can just
   be typed in.  There should not be any need to engage in form filling
   or complex dialogue.

   It should be possible to take the "human" description given at the
   meeting, and use it directly.  The means in which this happens will
   become clear later.

   This approach uses the syntax defined in RFC 1485 for representing
   distinguished names [HK93].  By relaxing some of the constraints on
   this specification, it is argued that a more user oriented
   specification is produced.  However, this syntax cannot be mapped
   algorithmically onto a distinguished name without the use of a
   directory.

   This notation is targeted towards a general user oriented system, and
   in particular to represent the names of humans.  Other syntaxes may
   be more appropriate for other uses of the directory.  For example,
   the OSF Syntax may be more appropriate for some system oriented uses.
   (The OSF Syntax uses "/" as a separator, and forms names in a manner
   intended to resemble UNIX filenames).

   This notation is targeted towards names which follow a particular DIT
   structure: organisationally oriented.  This may make it inappropriate
   for some types of application.  There may be a requirement to extend
   this notation to deal more cleanly with fully geographical names.

   This approach effectively defines a definition of descriptive names
   on top of the primitive names defined by the OSI Directory.

2.  The Notation

   The notation used in this specification is defined in [HK93].  This
   notation defines an unambiguous representation of distinguished name,
   and this specification is designed to be used in conjunction with
   this format.  Both specifications arise from the same piece of
   research work [Kil90].  Some examples of the specification are given
   here.

   The author's User Friendly Name (UFN) might be written:

      Steve Hardcastle-Kille, Computer Science, University College
      London, GB

   or




Hardcastle-Kille