Re: DELETE and 410 Gone

On Aug 25, 2011, at 5:25 AM, Karl Dubost wrote:

> in DELETE section [1], it might be worth to add a paragraph.
> 
>    Once the server has successfully completed
>    the DELETE, a server response on any 
>    subsequent requests on the same URI SHOULD be 
>    410 (Gone) (See section 8.4.11 of [Part2]).
> 
> Rationale: people hesitate on what they can do once the DELETE has been accomplished.
> 
> [1]: http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-httpbis-p2-semantics-16#section-7.7

That would be false.

410 is a deliberate decision by the resource owner that says the
resource is gone -- not to be found here again, ever.  They have
to configure it explicitly.

404 is a statement that no representation for the resource has
been found at the time of the request.  Mappings are discontinuous.
It is the natural state after a DELETE, but certainly isn't required.

Either one could be appropriate following a DELETE.  For that matter,
so could 403, 401, etc.

Tools that perform a DELETE should be encouraged to provide options
for the user to do something else with that resource after the DELETE,
but I have no idea how that would appear in prose in a manner that is
compatible with all the various usages of HTTP.

....Roy

Received on Thursday, 25 August 2011 20:18:49 UTC