Re: CGI scripts / Location header

On Wed, 11 Oct 1995, Daniel DuBois wrote:
> Scenario:  User requests a URL that points to an existant CGI script.  CGI
> script returns a "Location: localfile.html" header, indicating a
> 'server-side' redirect, and this file doesn't exist.

Let me use different terminology.  C = client, S = server

C: GET /script.cgi
  
S: 302 Moved Temporarily
   Location: host://server/other-file.html

C: GET /other-file.html

S: 404 Not Found

Whether this is done as two separate connections or one using keep-alive 
doesn't really matter, I don't think.

BTW, any reason why Location *has* to be an absolute URL and not a 
relative one?  That's always been a burden - Netscape and the Microsoft 
Explorer handle relative paths alright.

> Is it proper to send a 404 Not Found message?  

I think so.  The user agent interface should clearly show it was the 
request for the second resource, and not the first, which caused the 
problem.

	Brian


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Received on Thursday, 12 October 1995 04:24:22 UTC