- From: Roy T. Fielding <fielding@kiwi.ics.uci.edu>
- Date: Fri, 30 Jan 1998 09:39:32 -0800
- To: Adrien de Croy <adrien@qbik.com>
- Cc: http-wg@cuckoo.hpl.hp.com
>As for backward compatibility, that is pretty subjective. In software >development, it is more easy (read more reliable) to implement a simple >protocol than one which is backwardly compatible and complex. In reality, it is easier and more reliable to deploy a protocol that is backwards compatible. HTTP/1.0 was almost as complex as HTTP/1.1 -- the only big difference is that HTTP/1.0 was unable to accomplish what it tried to do, whereas HTTP/1.1 is barely sufficient without making incompatible changes. Keep in mind that HTTP is intended for many more applications than just the one that you are working on today. Even with all of its apparent complexity, it is still possible to write a simple HTTP server in just a few hours, and a simple HTTP client in a few days. The complexity is only needed by complex applications, such as caching, but failure to account for that complexity results in failed systems. Kia ora, ....Roy
Received on Friday, 30 January 1998 10:18:05 UTC