Re: HTTP header suggestion/request

Once upon a time David W. Morris shaped the electrons to say...
>The risk could be minimized by not allowing path information in the
>value. The UA would 'know' the root path or prompt the user..

That would be my choice.  But I wanted to open the option.

>to cgi scripts, it may be possible to include a realistic file name
>as part of the URL ... for example, we use a url of the form:
>   http://xxxx/export/zwexport.zwe

The problem is this:

You have a form, say 'download'.

That form has one ACTION.  On that form you can check a box to download
code.tar, code.tar.Z, or code.tar.gz.  The user picks the option they want
then submits the form to the CGI.  Since the form has one ACTION only one
CGI can be called, and since there are 3 possibly names putting an extension
on the ACTION will be wrong for any 2 of them.

I've explored this one already.  This is a real world situation today.

And soon I'll have one where users may pick from at least 5 choices on the
same form for variations of the same software.  It doesn't make sense to
have 5 forms and/or 5 cgi applications.

So a 'Save-As:' HTTP header would be most useful in this situation.  And
older browsers would behave as they do today, not a problem for combatibility.

I think we need to look at HTTP's growing use as a replacement or supliment
for FTP - especially in software download situations where it is desirable
to force the user to accept a licensing agreement before getting the code.

Heck - wouldn't it be nice to make users get code only after having seen
the Release Notes. ;-)

-MZ
--
Livingston Enterprises - Chair, Department of Interstitial Affairs
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Received on Friday, 8 November 1996 01:16:13 UTC