Re: New (minor) issue for RFC-2518: revising wording in section 8.3

On Mon, Jun 25, 2001 at 08:53:54AM -0400, Clemm, Geoff wrote:
> RFC-2518 currently states in section 8.3:
> 
>    The MKCOL method is used to create a new collection. All DAV
>    compliant resources MUST support the MKCOL method.

What does this really mean? Does a resource support MKCOL? Is MKCOL
"applied" to the parent collection? The URI is the new collection
resource to be created isn't it? If I have a non-collection resource
(eg a web page /foo.html), is it mandatory that I be able to do a
MKCOL /foo.html/newcoll?

> But then section 8.3.1 goes on to say:
> 
>    If the resource identified by the Request-URI is
>    non-null then the MKCOL MUST fail. 
> 
> I believe the second sentence of 8.3 should be changed to read:
> "All DAV compliant null and lock-null resources MUST support
> the MKCOL method".

I think I sort of agree with what you are saying, but isn't it more
that the MKCOL method is really being applied to either the parent
collection resource or a lock-null resource (if it exists for the new
collection URI)? I am not sure of the wording - my point is that not
all "null" resources need to support MKCOL.  And related, weren't
we trying to reword "null resources" as "unbound URIs" or something?

> Since any other WebDAV resource is
> required to fail the MKCOL request, it seems rather bogus
> to require them to "support" it.  In particular, this
> requirement damages any attempt by a client to populate its GUI with
> whether or not a MKCOL operation is appropriate
> for a given resource.

Bottom line: I agree with the concept, but I am not sure if the new
wording is quite right yet. How about from:

>    The MKCOL method is used to create a new collection. All DAV
>    compliant resources MUST support the MKCOL method.

to

     The MKCOL method is used to create a new collection.
     If the URI is a DAV compliant lock-null resource, the resource
     MUST support the MKCOL method.
     All DAV compliant collection resources must also support
     MKCOL for creating new members for the collection.

Hmmm. Getting the wording right is hard isn't it?
Note: I am only reading what you have specified. I have not read
the surrounding text in the spec.

Alan

Received on Monday, 25 June 2001 21:49:20 UTC