GnuPG feature request: Step-wise decryption

[abognupg at redtenbacher.de]

Hi David,

 >Subject: [Announce] GnuPG 1.3.6 released (development)
 >[...]
 >This release brings development even closer to a good point for 1.4.
 >If there is something that you do not like here, be it a missing
 >feature, a UI choice, or, well, anything, now is the time to speak up.

On 27 Feb 2004, I requested an interoperability feature for stepwise
decryption to permit mail gateways that use GnuPG, to interoperate
with "PGP-like" programs (e.g. "CryptoEx" which has a very unusual way
of interpreting RFC 2440, to say the least), without having to
re-invent GnuPG core functionality like compress/uncompress or
encrypt/decrypt.

At that time, you suggested a potential solution:

 >What do you think about a general "--unwrap" command, which would peel
 >off the outermost layer (whether it is encryption or compression) and
 >stop there. Callers could re-submit the output back in for another
 >round of --unwrap if they want to go further.

Such a general "--unwrap" command would be really great and permit the
solving of all gateway interoperability problems via small utility
software, while leaving the bulk of the work with GnuPG. Therefore, I
wanted to ask you if this feature is (still?) on the planning list for
GnuPG 1.4 ?

- Wolfgang Redtenbacher