Re: Status of negotiation text in 1.1 draft?

> I recently re-read the text relating to content negotiation in
> draft-ietf-http-v10-spec-01.txt, dated August 3, 1995.  This text was
> taken out of subsequent HTTP 1.0 drafts, and should reappear in the
> upcoming HTTP 1.1 draft.

Amongst other things, yes.

> In my opinion, at least half of the v10-spec-01 content negotiation
> text needs to be rewritten (both changes to the presentation and
> changes to the semantics).  I am wondering how many rewriting has been
> done already.

It's all in pieces right now (split amongst my notes) but I have not
physically changed that section of the FrameMaker document yet.

> My question to the 1.1 draft authors is: will the new 1.1 content
> negotiation text be very different from the old v10-spec-01 text?

I am hoping to include reactive negotiation on an equal footing with the
current description of preemptive negotiation.

> Will there be cleanups in the presentation?

None planned.

> Will things previously left unspecified be specified? 

Some things, yes.  What did you have in mind?

> Will there be changes to header semantics?

Yes, but perhaps not the ones you are thinking of.  It is difficult
for me to read minds, so I can't tell for sure.

> I'm trying to decide if I should postpone comments on content
> negotiation mechanisms until after the new 1.1 draft has been
> released.

Are they different than the comments already on the mailing list archive?
If so, then they may be useful, and I'd prefer to hear them before
generating a new draft.  I can change my mind in a nanosecond, but it takes
several days to generate a new draft.  I already have the old comments
saved and will review them again before finishing the section.

I actually made a great deal of progress on it this weekend, so it should
be published next weekend (it must be published by Nov 22).


 ...Roy T. Fielding
    Department of Information & Computer Science    (fielding@ics.uci.edu)
    University of California, Irvine, CA 92717-3425    fax:+1(714)824-4056
    http://www.ics.uci.edu/~fielding/

Received on Monday, 13 November 1995 02:14:01 UTC