Re: HTTP working group status & issues (please reply)

Larry Masinter <masinter@parc.xerox.com> wrote:
>- GET-with-body or idempotent-POST
>  Discussed on the working group; there seems to be enough
>  demand, but not a lot of clarity on the solution.
>  *** I'd like a brief note from you about your opinion,
>      especially if you haven't responded on this before.

	With respect to the issue which initially motivated this
discussion:

	How can POST be made know as idempotent to a client for more
	efficient and effect history management when that METHOD is
	used in FORMs to facilitate i18n?

the header suggestion (e.g. Idempotent: yes | no) has the benefit that
CGI scripts can include it as META tag, without need to worry that
older servers or clients which don't yet recognize/handle it might
do something totally inappropriate.  The problem, though, is that it
"begs" to be used for GET as well.  Is there any way to use that header
approach, but preclude it's use with GET and HEAD?  Expanding the syntax
for Cache-Control values seems like a feasible, but more "complicated"
approach (a nice, simple Idempotent: yes | no with exclusion of
GET and HEAD is more appealing, IMHO, and I anticipate that "If you
do it, they will come.").

				Fote

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Received on Tuesday, 24 September 1996 07:07:42 UTC