# Description of Data Formats (Key/Value / XML)

Request format: Key/Value

There is no defined sequence of keywords. You can choose freely.

Versioning of Key/Value Requests

At present, the valid version for requests in the key/value format is 4.0.

Validation in Case of Key/Value

The following rules apply:

- Keywords can be stated in case-insensitive form.

- A keyword must always be positioned at the beginning of a line.

- The keyword is always followed by a colon as assignment character (":"; 0x3A).

- There must be a gap between the assignment character and the assigned value comprised of at least one space (%x20) or one tabulator (%x09).

- Unknown keywords will be ignored.

- If optional keywords are omitted during an update the values previously set for them will be deleted.

- If an optional keyword is omitted and a default value exists, the default value will be set.

Request Format: XML

All XML processors must be able to recognize and process both UTF-8 and UTF-16 encodings. XML has the XML declaration encoding attribute, which enables it to identify and use other character encodings. If neither this attribute nor a BOM attribute is provided, UTF-8 encoding is set by default. This is the reason why the RRI server uses UTF -8 encoding and why it is recommend to RRI clients.

The XML format follows clearly defined schemata. The sequence of the XML elements must be strictly observed. Any deviation from the defined syntax will be rejected with an error message. Thus, unknown elements will also prompt an error. Elements in the XML format are case-sensitive! You must always enter a value for optional elements. If you want to delete an optional element, you must omit the complete line.

Version to be Used for XML

XML requests and the related replies can be validated against the version 4.0 schemata.

Validation in Case of XML

When the XML request format is used, requests may be validated via the following schemata:

- contact-4.0.xsd

- dnsentry-4.0.xsd

- domain-4.0.xsd

- global-4.0.xsd

- message-4.0.xsd

- monitoring-4.0.xsd

- regacc-4.0.xsd

- transaction-4.0.xsd

You need an XML-W3C-schema-1.0-compatible schema validator for this purpose. You will find the schemata on our member website (Schemata and BNFs).

Validation Errors in XML Requests

In connection with error code 83000000004 (e.g. in the table Error Messages Related to Domain Requests), which indicates that the validation of the XML request against the schema failed, XML parser information can be returned in several lines.

Each line is enclosed by the tag pair <tr:argument>…</tr:agument>.

The XML parser information is provided as a separate message of the software used by DENIC. It is not part of the RRI error messages defined by DENIC.

The wording of the XML parser information is determined by the software producer. Maintenance and care is not provided by DENIC. For this reason, the technical documents of DENIC do not include lists with or texts about those error codes.

The example below shall illustrate where in the XML response the XML parser information (in red) is to be expected if a validation error occurs.

Response Formats

RRI will always use the same format for its reply as was used for the request, i.e. either key/value or XML.