signing needs two serialisation passes

[jap]

BPO	39131
Nosy	@warsaw, @bitdancer, @jap
PRs	bpo-39131 email: add easier support for generating multipart/signed messages #17695

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2019-12-24.15:24:15.641>
labels = ['3.8', 'expert-email', 'performance']
title = 'signing needs two serialisation passes'
updated_at = <Date 2019-12-24.17:53:24.675>
user = 'https://github.com/jap'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2019-12-24.17:53:24.675>
actor = 'r.david.murray'
assignee = 'none'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['email']
creation = <Date 2019-12-24.15:24:15.641>
creator = 'jap'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 39131
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 2.0
messages = ['358849', '358851']
nosy_count = 3.0
nosy_names = ['barry', 'r.david.murray', 'jap']
pr_nums = ['17695']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = 'patch review'
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'performance'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue39131'
versions = ['Python 3.8']

[jap]

When creating multipart/signed messages, this currently require two serialisation passes: once to extract the flattened contents to be signed, and once to actually serialise the message.

The PR this ticket will be linked to contains a new class, MIMEMultipartSigned, which can be instantiated with a signer function that can perform the signing while serialising, reducing this to only once.

Besides, this ensures that the signed contents cannot changed between signing and outputting.

Patch is against py3.8

[bitdancer]

Ideally this should be exposed by extending the content manager. Instantiating MIME classes is part of the old API, not the new. The code in the PR may well be correct, but class should be hidden from the normal user (of the new API). I'm not sure what the best way to specify the signing function will be, but I'm guessing a new keyword parameter in the content API.

Note that the current content management API is more of a framework than a fully worked out system, so figuring out the best way to add this may require some design discussion.

[iritkatriel]

@bitdancer Based on the comments on the PR, I believe the OP (@jap) has abandoned this.

Shall I close the issue or do you think it is worth leaving it to be picked up by someone else?

[jap]

Note that we (@startmail) are using this patch in production. If someone were to tell me where to look on how to implement this by extending the content manager, I'd be all ears.

[iritkatriel]

Reopening because the OP has responded and asked for advice.

[iritkatriel]

@jap - that you're using the patch in prod is not really relevant here. If you want to try creating another patch along the lines of @bitdancer 's suggestion, please go ahead. I am leaving the pending label for now because I'm not sure from your comment whether you are planning to work on this. We try not to leave issues open forever when a project is abandoned.

[iritkatriel]

@jap - you can reopen this or create a new issue if you want to work on it, or if you have specific questions about how to implement it.