Re: Naming

> Careful; you got an *entity body* of type image/png, not a resource.
> The resource identified by http://www.w3.org/Icons/WWW/w3c_main
> has state that's subject to change by the W3C webmaster, and
> you didn't get all that; you cannot, for example, locally simulate
> its behaviour indefinitely.
>
> What you get back from a GET request to a resource is not, in general,
a
> resource identified by any URI that you can discover; you get back
some
> content;
> an 'entity body' in the HTTP spec terminology.
> http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec1.html#sec1.3

The term 'entity-body' is actually quite bad because it doesn't really
say anything but HTTP enherited it from MIME. The W3C WD "Web
Characterization Terminology & Definitions Sheet"

    http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCA-terms/

attempts to clarify the definition by calling it a "Resource
Manifestation":

    http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCA-terms/#Resource1

compared to a "Resource"

    http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCA-terms/#Resource

However, I think it got it wrong (blaming myself) in defining a client:

    http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCA-terms/

where it leans towards the interpretation that a client in some cases
(like a mail client) actually gets the resource rather than the
manifestation. However, this complication isn't needed as it is
consistent to say that "you can *never* get to a resource, only the
resource manifestation" as it is easier to define the email case in
terms of this than complicating the model.

Henrik

Received on Monday, 8 May 2000 12:53:39 UTC