Re: PROPOSAL: content sniffing [#155]

Brian Smith wrote:
> My suggestion is:
> 
> 1. Remove 3.2.1 completely.

I think this goes to far, as it explains the interaction between 
Content-Encoding and Content-Type.

> 2. Remove all references to 3.2.1 (especially the one in section 5.9).
> 3. Add the statement "A message containing an entity-body SHOULD include a
> Content-Type header field defining the media type of that body" to section
> 5.9.
> 
> Since the "MUST" requirement for Content-Encoding is in 5.5, it makes sense
> to have the "SHOULD" requirement for Content-Type in 5.9. And, the
> specification should avoid duplication as much as possible.

That makes sense.

Related issue: Section 5.5 currently is phrased as if Content-Encoding 
only works in presence of Content-Type:

"The entity-header field "Content-Encoding" is used as a modifier to the 
media-type. When present, its value indicates what additional content 
codings have been applied to the entity-body, and thus what decoding 
mechanisms must be applied in order to obtain the media-type referenced 
by the Content-Type header field."

It seems to me we should rephrase that as well.

BR, Julian