Re: HTTP/1.2 topics and beyond

> It was inappropriate to chastise the "chopping list" as "out of
> scope", since it was explicitly asked for, and there was concurrence
> that it would be very useful to have such a list.  I think the only
> problem was that you misunderstood the intent: the goal isn't to chop
> anything from THIS draft. We may be able to split HTTP/1.1 into two
> parts when we go from Proposed to Draft, and move the implementation
> advice elements into the informational guide.

Well, that's all fine and good, but there was no indication of that in
Martin's message.  To avoid misunderstandings in the future, I strongly
suggest that you stop referring to it as a "chopping list"; even with
an implementation guide, it won't be possible to just "chop" those sections.

An implementation guide should be just that -- go through the steps
of typical and non-typical scenarios and describe how one might implement
each step according to the standard.  When that is done and approved by
actual implemeters of the protocol, go through the RFC (hopefully it will
be one by then) and decide what has been duplicated.

In any case, what will matter in terms of content are all at the level of
a paragraph -- there is no point in talking about including or excluding
whole sections.

BTW, I personally find it unlikely that a WG can come to consensus on
any implementation guide, aside from one in the form of a FAQ.  A good
implementation guide requires the time and resources of a good author
willing to examine the cracks and crevices of actual implementations --
something which is normally done in a book (as exemplified by Stevens).
But, I'd certainly welcome a good implementation guide, and there's no
reason the authors can't make it a book later on.

 ...Roy T. Fielding
    Department of Information & Computer Science    (fielding@ics.uci.edu)
    University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3425    fax:+1(714)824-4056
    http://www.ics.uci.edu/~fielding/

Received on Friday, 12 July 1996 23:09:11 UTC