Re: What are the valid characters in an email address?

As you've probably noticed, there are two parts to an e-mail address.  The
"user" part (actually, I think the RFCs refer to it as the "local part")
and the domain part.

For example:
   user@xxxxxxxxxxx

user = user part
example.com = domain part.

The rules for the user part of the address should be as relaxed as
possible.  The original standards in RFC 822 did limit the valid
characters, but newer documents state that ANY character should be allowed
in the local part aside from comma, space and the @ symbol.  And, even
those can be allowed if the local-part appears in quotes.

The domain part has to be a valid internet domain name.  Rather than try
to figure out the characters that are or are not allowed, I recommend just
doing a DNS lookup.

I wrote an article on validating e-mail addresses in the Nov 13, 2003
issue of the Club Tech Programming Tips Newsletter over on the iSeries
Network.  (A free associate membership will enable you to read it)

http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/resources/clubtech/index.cfm?fuseaction=ShowNewsletterIssue&ID=17632

If for some reason you can't sign-up for the iSeries Network, contact me
off-list and I'll send you the source code (but not the article) for the
e-mail validator.


On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> What characters are valid in an email address?
>
> - or -
>
> What characters are invalid in an email address?
>
> Rob Berendt
> --
> "All creatures will make merry... under pain of death."
> -Ming the Merciless (Flash Gordon)
> _______________________________________________
> This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing list
> To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
> or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
> at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.
>