RE: Using PROPPATCH to create a resource with no body

Jim Amsden writes:
> There are a number of proposed extensions to PROPPATCH which I
> will summarize here. Jim Whitehead, what needs to be done to get these
> extensions considered by the WebDAV working group?

Write them up in an Internet-Draft. This draft can then be used by the
document editors when RFC 2518 goes to Draft Standard.

> 1. Allow PROPPATCH on a null resource to create a resource and
> initialize its properties.
>
> The spec is currently quiet about PROPPATCH on a null resource (a
> resource that does not exist). It does say that PROPPATCH on a lock null
> resource (a resource created by the LOCK method) will fail, but this is
inconsistent
> with PUT which is allowed, and changes the state of the resource from lock
null
> to resource.

The intent of RFC 2518 was that PROPPATCH, like every other method that does
not create a resource, would return a 404 (Not Found) error.  The spec. does
not explicitly mention this, since we intended for all standard HTTP/1.1
error cases to be applied to WebDAV.  A PROPPATCH on a null resource is a
standard 404 (Not Found) error case, and hence we didn't think it needed
special mention.

- Jim

Received on Monday, 16 August 1999 18:24:53 UTC