Character Set

User-generated text (such things as descriptive text, host names, prefix aliases, group names, and link names, for example) can consist of letters of the alphabet, numerals, hyphens and underscore characters. The first character must be a letter of the alphabet.

You cannot enter more than 256 characters into the CLI for any one command, including keywords.

With a few exceptions, you cannot use any of the following characters in user-defined text:

` ; # $ { } ' " < > \
 

 

The exceptions:

• the single quote character is allowed in a TACACS+ key
• any of these characters can be used in a match expression in the show logging command
• forward slashes (/), are allowed in filenames, URLs, domain names, and e-mail addresses
• single (‘) or double (“) quotes can be used as individual characters in descriptive text and passwords (but not user names, host names, or aliases)
• all printable characters can be used in a password, subject to the following:
• If a password contains a space, backslash (\), or exclamation mark (!), then you must quote the entire password (either single (‘) or double (“) quotes can be used). Note that a quoted password can not use the same quote symbol as part of the password. E.g., “test 99” could not use double (“) quote as part of the actual password.
• Examples of legal passwords:
  test123
  @#$%^&*()test123_+|~`=-[]{};:/.,?><
  “t est1 23 ”
  ‘ t est1 23’
  “ test ’1’ 2/3”

If space characters are used in descriptive text blocks, the entire block of text must be enclosed in quote marks. If the text uses a double-quote character, enclose the entire block in single quotes. If the text includes a single-quote character, enclose the entire block in double quotes.

The exclamation mark (!) identifies comment text in configurations. When the CNA system encounters an exclamation mark in text not enclosed in quotes, it will ignore all characters from that point on through the end of the line when parsing the configuration.

To use the exclamation mark as a character in user-defined text, such as a descriptive block, or a password or user ID, enclose the block of text in quotes.

User-defined text is case sensitive; CLI keywords are not.

You can enter show prefix, show Prefix or SHOW PREFIX; all will be accepted as valid commands.

However, the CNA system will preserve upper and lower cases for user-generated text. The performance group name PathControl is not the same as pathcontrol.