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@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ files (\fBdpkg\fP's internal databases are in a similar format).
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A control file consists of one or more paragraphs of fields (the paragraphs
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are also sometimes referred to as stanzas).
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The paragraphs are separated by empty lines.
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-Parsers may accept lines consisting solely of spaces and tabs as paragraph
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-separators, but control files should use empty lines.
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+Parsers may accept lines consisting solely of U+0020 \fBSPACE\fP and
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+U+0009 \fBTAB\fP as paragraph separators, but control files should use
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+empty lines.
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Some control files allow only one paragraph; others allow several, in which
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case each paragraph usually refers to a different package.
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(For example, in source packages, the first paragraph refers to the source
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@@ -41,19 +42,21 @@ source.)
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The ordering of the paragraphs in control files is significant.
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Each paragraph consists of a series of data fields.
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-Each field consists of the field name followed by a colon and then the
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-data/value associated with that field.
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+Each field consists of the field name followed by a colon
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+(U+003A \(oq\fB:\fP\(cq), and then the data/value associated with that field.
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The field name is composed of US-ASCII characters excluding control
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-characters, space, and colon (i.e., characters in the ranges 33-57 and
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-59-126, inclusive).
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-Field names must not begin with the comment character (\(oq\fB#\fP\(cq),
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-nor with the hyphen character (\(oq\fB\-\fP\(cq).
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+characters, space, and colon (i.e., characters in the ranges
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+U+0021 \(oq\fB!\fP\(cq through U+0039 \(oq\fB9\fP\(cq, and
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+U+003B \(oq\fB;\fP\(cq through U+007E \(oq\fB~\fP\(cq, inclusive).
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+Field names must not begin with the comment character
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+(U+0023 \(oq\fB#\fP\(cq), nor with the hyphen character
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+(U+002D \(oq\fB\-\fP\(cq).
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The field ends at the end of the line or at the end of the last continuation
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line (see below).
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-Horizontal whitespace (spaces and tabs) may occur immediately before or after
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-the value and is ignored there; it is conventional to put a single space after
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-the colon.
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+Horizontal whitespace (U+0020 \fBSPACE\fP and U+0009 \fBTAB\fP) may occur
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+immediately before or after the value and is ignored there; it is conventional
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+to put a single space after the colon.
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For example, a field might be:
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.RS
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.nf
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@@ -81,7 +84,7 @@ specify a different type.
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.B folded
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The value of a folded field is a logical line that may span several lines.
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The lines after the first are called continuation lines and must start with
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-a space or a tab.
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+a U+0020 \fBSPACE\fP or a U+0009 \fBTAB\fP.
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Whitespace, including any newlines, is not significant in the field values
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of folded fields.
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@@ -111,13 +114,14 @@ names using mixed case as shown below.
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Field values are case-sensitive unless the description of the field says
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otherwise.
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-Paragraph separators (empty lines) and lines consisting only of spaces and
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-tabs are not allowed within field values or between fields.
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+Paragraph separators (empty lines) and lines consisting only of
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+U+0020 \fBSPACE\fP and U+0009 \fBTAB\fP, are not allowed within field
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+values or between fields.
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Empty lines in field values are usually escaped by representing them by a
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-space followed by a dot.
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+U+0020 \fBSPACE\fP followed by a dot (U+002E \(oq\fB.\fP\(cq).
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-Lines starting with \(oq\fB#\fP\(cq without any preceding whitespace are
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-comments lines that are only permitted in source package control files
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+Lines starting with U+0023 \(oq\fB#\fP\(cq, without any preceding whitespace
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+are comments lines that are only permitted in source package control files
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(\fIdebian/control\fP) and in \fBdeb\-origin\fP(5) files.
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These comment lines are ignored, even between two continuation lines.
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They do not end logical lines.
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