Re: IPP> Chunked POST

On Thu, 17 Dec 1998 mcmanus@appliedtheory.com wrote:

> In a previous episode Rodent of Unusual Size said...
> :: 
> :: 
> :: > 1.  MAY a server discard the message body of a POST request with no
> :: > Content-Length?
> :: 
> :: [Opinion] No.  The message-body is an integral part of
> :: the request, and cannot be silently ignored.  The server
> :: should return a 411 (Length Required) instead.
> :: 
> 
> Section 4.4 (http rev6):
> 
> All HTTP/1.1 applications that receive entities MUST accept the
>    "chunked" transfer-coding (section 3.6), thus allowing this
>    mechanism to be used for messages when the message length cannot be
>    determined in advance.
> 
> so, imho, it must take it and use it.
> 
> http-wg: upon reflection, I actually can't think of any reason why a
> server would ever send 411... About the best I can come up with is a
> complete request (sans body) that has been sent that does hold any of
> the criteria set forth in 4.4.. but it's not really CL that's needed
> there, it's something that meets the 4.4 criteria..
> 
> our server actually does issue 411 for the above case, but in
> retrospect I'm not really sure that's right.
> 
> The archives didn't clear this up for me.. any recollections?
> 

In my opinion, Ken Coar is correct in saying that for a server to
be *both* HTTP/1.1 compliant and CGI/1.1 compliant it MUST buffer 
chunked POST data and provide a Content-Length for the CGI script.

My recollection is that some servers chose not to be completely 
CGI/1.1 compliant to avoid the buffering.  The 411 header was a
way to be HTTP/1.1 compliant and indicate their rejection of 
chunked POST data.

For example, I have heard that Apache rejects chunked POST data,
but I have not personally verified this.

John Franks
john@math.nwu.edu

Received on Thursday, 17 December 1998 13:36:48 UTC