An HTTP EXE Method

My understanding of HTTP Methods is that they are designed with the idea of
separation of concerns in mind

Question for the TAG is whether an HTTP EXE method would align with web
architecture?

The method would be similar to POST, in that it has side effects, but it
performs just one task, and that is to execute a file

Example use cases, would be to clean up some logs, to turn on a right, or
to play a song.  I'm sure there are many more, as most coders at some time
of other have had to called an EXE from an HTTP request, via an API or
cgi-bin

Why not just use POST?  Well, yes you could, I like POST quite a lot.  But
EXE commands could be highlighted and sand boxed for extra security, could
have their own work flow

When we created Solid, we had ACLs modeled on the UNIX file system.  RWX,
but for the web we had read/write/control.  Where control allows you to
change the ACL.  There is a slight mismatch there, as the final bit in UNIX
is EXE.  So I have found a gap integrating web / file system / OS which
drives my personal curiosity around this Method

Leaving the practicalities aside, is an EXE Method, I was wondering simply
whether such an idea would be in the spirit of webarch.  I've asked a
couple of people that I respect in the REST community, and they didnt
dismiss it.

So wanted to see if I could get any views of the TAG, even just to hear why
it's a terrible idea :)

Received on Monday, 4 April 2022 11:42:51 UTC