HTTP/1.1, queries, and redirect

Suppose a search service moves from MachineA to MachineB.  MachineA
redirects the requests.  Should MachineA affix the query string to
the Location header?  That is, if MachineA receives URL
	/search?query
should it return a header
	Location: http://MachineB/search
or
	Location: http://MachineB/search?query
?

The specification gives no guidance.  Empirically, user agents just go
to wherever the Location header says to go.  So if the query string is
omitted, the search doesn't happen at MachineB, because the user agent
doesn't concatenate the query string.  (And it probably shouldn't, in
truth.)

My server will append the query string on redirects that arise from the
server's configuration.  (CGIs can return whatever.)  What do others do?

Dave

Received on Wednesday, 21 August 1996 06:40:28 UTC