RE: Extend PROPPATCH to allow appending to properties?

A much more useful extension which there has been discussion about is the
ability to do XML savy patching, of which append would be a subset. I know
the XML folks have been thinking about this.
	Yaron

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jim Davis [SMTP:jdavis@parc.xerox.com]
> Sent:	Monday, March 02, 1998 2:32 PM
> To:	w3c-dist-auth@w3.org
> Subject:	Extend PROPPATCH to allow appending to properties?
> 
> As you know, I've been arguing that both external members and ordering of
> collections should be implemented by properties alone.  Last night it
> occurred to me that such property manipulation would be way more efficient
> if one extended PROPPATCH by defining a new XML element (append) that
> added a new value to a property (optionally at an arbitrary position).
> 
> Without such an extension, to add a new external member one do LOCK,
> PROPFIND, PROPPATCH, UNLOCK.  With it, it suffices to do a PROPPATCH.
> 
> In a way, this makes PROPPATCH behave like PATCH did.  It allows a client
> to rewrite a value without a round trip.
> 
> I would be willing to write this up as an Internet Draft as a proposed
> *extension* to WebDAV.  I am not arguing for this to be part of the core
> WebDAV (I don't want to delay things.)
> 
> A little more detail:  I propose to define a new XML element 'append', to
> extend propertyupdate to allow it.  The 'append' XML element MUST have a
> prop element, and optionally accepts a a 'listposition' XML element.  It
> interprets the property named by the prop as a list, and inserts the value
> of the prop into that list.  If listposition is not provided, the new item
> goes at the end.  If it is, then it specified the position.  I have not
> worked out listpostion, but it would include means to specify absolute
> position (0-n), first, last, and position relative to another value.
> (before, after).
> 
> Is there any good reason that I shouldn't try this?
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> http://www.parc.xerox.com/jdavis/
> 650-812-4301

Received on Monday, 2 March 1998 17:51:59 UTC