RE: Issue: SOURCE_PROPERTY_UNDERSPECIFIED

                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               


I've spent some time trying to list the questions brought up in this
discussion and the answers offered.   I can post that list later.

In building the list I found Lisa's questions interesting.  For the most
part the questions in the first half of Lisa's note [1] seem to be
answered, but Lisa's later questions about mapping did not seem to be.  The
mapping issues seem to be an important issue for the source property, and
the answer can vary from server to server.   Are answers also hinted that
the client has to know how the server does mappings, as they do now, but if
that is our answer, then I'm not sure why we are defining the DAV:source
property.

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-dist-auth/2002AprJun/0170.html

Can everyone do a mental reset and review why we have a source property?

I assume the following questions (and perhaps more) need to be answered (by
the DAV:source property).   I don't think it's acceptable to say that the
answer varies and that the client just know the mapping function.  I've
explained why above.  I think we need to perhaps admit that the answer will
vary from server to server, but that some aspect of WebDAV (presumably the
DAV:source property) tells the client how to get the job done.

1) An author wants to create a dynamic web page using an implementation he
has.  The URL where he wants the dynamic content served is currently
unmapped.   Where does he PUT the implementation to create the mapping?
(I'm assuming an automatic mapping process.)

2) An author wants to browse the code he submitted as an implementation of
a resource.  At what URL does the author do the GET?  (I think we answer
this with DAV:source.)

3) A dynamic page is being served at a given URL.  The author wants to
update the implementation of that dynamic resource.  Where does he PUT the
updated implementation?   (I think we've answered the basic form of this
question via the dav:source propety.  Questions like whether the update
will be refelcted immediately can be answered later.)

4) An author wants to no longer serve dynamic content at a specific URL.
What URL does the author DELETE?

5) Make sure the answers to the above question still work in concept for
resources that would list multiple DAV:source resources.

6) Make sure the answers to the questions above don't cause problems for
servers that require explicit client controlled mapping operations.

I'm sure I've missed some other fundamental questions, but the 4+2 above
seem like a good easy to understand start.

I do think it's acceptable to say that DAV:source only solves 2 & 3 and
we'll solve the other questions later.   In doing so, in the spec we can
clarify what DAV:source is NOT doing so that it doesn't get misused.   We
also should mentally envision how we'd solve the other problems to insure
that what we are doing now will not prevent us from solving the remaining
problems later.

J.

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Phone: 914-784-7569,   ccjason@us.ibm.com