GET and PUT on References: New language for the spec

Here is the language I propose to put into the collections protocol spec
about GET and PUT on references.  This would replace the current remarks
about GET and PUT in section 3.5.  It's based on John Stracke's proposal:

A GET or HEAD on a referential resource MUST return a 302 (Moved
Temporarily) with the Location header containing the target URI of the
reference.  The response MUST include a Resource-Type header, defined in
Section 6.x below, with the value "refmember".  This header allows
DAV-aware clients to recognize the resource as a reference and understand
the reason for the redirection. The response MUST also include those HTTP
headers that make sense for referential resources, at a minimum:
Cache-Control, Age, ETag, Expires, and Last-Modified.  The response SHOULD
include an entity body that the client can display if the redirection is
not automatic. The entity body explains that the requested resource is a
reference to another resource and includes a link to the target resource.

A PUT on a referential resource MUST return a 302 (Moved Temporarily) with
the Location header containing the target URI of the reference.  The
response MUST include a Resource-Type header, defined in Section 6.x below,
with the value "refmember".  This header allows DAV-aware clients to
recognize the resource as a reference and understand the reason for the
redirection. The response MUST include an entity body for display to users.
 The entity body explains that the requested resource is a reference to
another resource, and allows the user to choose between replacing the
reference and replacing its target by selecting the URI of the reference or
the URI of its target.  Interactive clients MUST NOT follow the Location
header automatically without consulting the user.  If the user chooses to
replace the target, the client simply sends a PUT request to the target
resource.  If the user chooses to replace the reference, the client sends a
DELETE request to the reference, followed by a PUT.

--Judy



Name:		Judith A. Slein
E-Mail:		slein@wrc.xerox.com
Phone:  	(716) 422-5169
Fax:		(716) 422-2938

Xerox Corporation
Mail Stop 105-50C
800 Phillips Road
Webster, NY 14580

Received on Monday, 6 July 1998 11:06:14 UTC