Re: Dealing with large collections [Re: URI constraints]

[Robert Sayre <mint@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greg Stein wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 08:19:47PM -0400, Robert Sayre wrote:
>
>
> Well, I'd say that SEARCH has more background for querying (Microsoft
> implemented it long ago for Exchange, and catacomb implements it for
> Apache/mod_dav). Custom expect tokens, new range specifiers, etc have
> almost zero precedent, as far as I know.

Exchange2003 uses a custom range header. I also note this use case seems 
to be the precise reason that Range is extensible ("chapters of a book" 
is the usual future case).

>
> I still find this a bit strange. An application has to insert a custom
> header, yet it can't alter the HTTP method? Either way, app changes are
> required.

If you are writing a Python app with urllib2 (yes, I have read your 
PEP), a J2ME app, a Flash app, etc, you can insert a custom header, but 
you can't change the method. I'm sure we can find more broken libraries 
if we want.

The lesson from bloglines/del.icio.us etc is that you have to let people 
ease into it, IMO. "Get started with standard stuff, we have more 
advanced things once you're hooked". Think of a beginning PHP developer 
who just wants to write a quick two liner. I think someone who has 
written less than 500 lines of code in their lifetime should be able to 
communicate a bit with the protocol.

> That the examples that I've provided *are* defined by RFC 2616. That spec
> Additional HTTP methods are simply one extension mechanism; you're talking
> about using other extension mechanisms. Both are compliant with RFC 2616.

I understand and agree with you. You are thinking logically, and that is 
a problem here :)

The cultural definition of "Extending HTTP" seems to be adding a method. 
Adding a header/header-value is referred to as "A Custom Header." I 
don't know why that is, but it seems to be the case.

> Looks like some wiki writing is needed :-)
>
> I think it is also valid to ask Atom client authors whether they need all
> of those inputs. Does sort order matter? Are date ranges important? Or is
> fetching of N posts at a time sufficient?

Agreed. And where are these client authors you speak of...?

Robert Sayre