Comment on draft "The HTTP QUERY Method"

I want to comment on https://httpwg.org/http-extensions/draft-ietf-httpbis-safe-method-w-body.html, section 1. Introduction:
 
As an alternative to using GET, many implementations make use of the HTTP POST method to perform queries, as illustrated in the example below. In this case, the input parameters to the query operation are passed along within the request content as opposed to using the request URI.¶ <https://httpwg.org/http-extensions/draft-ietf-httpbis-safe-method-w-body.html#section-1-6>
A typical use of HTTP POST for requesting a query:¶ <https://httpwg.org/http-extensions/draft-ietf-httpbis-safe-method-w-body.html#section-1-7>POST /feed HTTP/1.1
Host: example.org <http://example.org/>
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
 
q=foo&limit=10&sort=-published
¶ <https://httpwg.org/http-extensions/draft-ietf-httpbis-safe-method-w-body.html#section-1-8>
This variation, however, suffers from the same basic limitation as GET in that it is not readily apparent -- absent specific knowledge of the resource and server to which the request is being sent -- that a safe, idempotent query is being performed.

 
According to https://www.iana.org/assignments/http-methods/http-methods.xhtml, GET is safe and idempotent. Only POST suffers from the limitation that it is not known to be safe and idempotent. Therefore the statement in the last paragraph that "POST suffers from the same basic limitation as GET" is wrong.
 
Or do the words "basic limitation" refer to something else?
 
Thanks and regards
 
Heiko Theißen
Development Architect, ERP CPA EA&CE SA Orchestration SE
SAP SE
E: heiko.theissen@sap.com <mailto:heiko.theissen@sap.com>
T: +496227741912 <tel:%20+496227741912>

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Received on Thursday, 17 October 2024 09:32:03 UTC