> In my experience alphabetics are common in serial numbers. What
> would make either of you think a European might not use an 'accented'
> alpha in their serial numbers - I do NOT agree that serial numbers
> should be constrained to DisplayString.
Nope, you're absolutely right. A customer can fully do whatever the
customer wants to do with objects such as serial numbers and other
identification items.
I would have thought that serial numbers serve their best purpose as
being processable data, and not simply "monikers" of strings of verbage,
per se. As such, in the interest of overall SANITY, I would have thought
that people would simple use plain old ASCII, given that their applications
are probably constrained in that way (again, for SANITY, and not for some
nationalistic reason).
Apparently you see it differently, and I'm sure you can list several
known customer sites that use non-ASCII in serial numbers (and that
those customers would be *very* upset if the Printer MIB constrained
them to only ASCII).
Hard for me to grasp, but if that's what you insist on, then so be it.
Cast serial numbers into the growing pool of unbounded localization,
then. After all, what's one more object in this growing list.
...jay
PS: Again, that old adage keeps hovering about:
"Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD..."