RE: Questions/clarification on MKACTIVITY method

   From: Steve K Speicher [mailto:sspeiche@us.ibm.com]

   Reference draft #13

   - How could the MKACTIVITY method be used to indicate a
   server-defined "activity" at a server-defined activity collection?
   It appears that the CHECKOUT method (section 11.10) has the ability
   to have the server automatically create an "activity", why doesn't
   the MKACTIVITY method have this (or if it does, how)?

The purpose of the "new activity" option for CHECKOUT is to allow
a lightweight client to easily interoperate with a server that
requires activities.  A client with full activity support (i.e.
one that utilizes MKACTIVITY) can use a DAV:activity-set-collection
OPTIONS request to determine where it can allocate activities.

In an earlier draft of the spec, I had the MKACTIVITY request always
allocate an activity at a server defined location, and the request-URL
was just a "hint" to the server for what the client wanted that
activity named.  Other members of the design team felt it is
better/simpler to fail the MKACTIVITY request if the request-URL is
not a valid name for a new activity.

   - I noticed in section 11.5 "Marshalling", there is mention of an
   XML-element "mkactivity" as part of the MKACTIVITY method.  What is
   this intended to be used for and what are the possible values for
   it?

This ensures that any extensions that add arguments to the MKACTIVITY
method do so in a "consistent" fashion.

   - To minimize client/server communication, could it be possible for
   the MKACTIVITY method to NOT specify the collection, just the
   activity name?  Since the client would have to solicit the server
   for the valid collection locaiton before building the request
   (i.e. eliminating the DAV:activity-collection-set OPTIONS request).

A request has to go to a particular resource, which is then
responsible for handling the request.  What would be the request-URL
of the MKACTIVITY method in this case?

Cheers,
Geoff

Received on Monday, 12 March 2001 10:00:11 UTC