RE: combining ranges

Doug Moore wrote:
> So, then, what does 'overlap' mean, and specifically,
> if a request arrives for (in this order) ranges
> 300-399, 200-299 and 100-199, can these be said to
> overlap, and thus be combined, or must order be
> preserved, and a multirange response delivered?
> 
> I can tell you that there are clients out there that
> demand the multirange response.  Are they broken?

Those ranges do not overlap. 

> "When a client requests multiple byte-ranges in one
> request, the server SHOULD return them in the order
> that they appeared in the request."

Yes. The server SHOULD do it but that is different than saying the server
MUST do it. Clients need to apply the robustness principle here; they should
accept the data in any order and with any coalescing that the server chooses
to do, overlapping or not.

Regards,
Brian