CAP 1.0 & Unknown components/subcomponents

[Bruce_Kahn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Based on the thread on VTIMEZONEs that
Andrea started and as an offshoot of the VQUERY thread I have a concern
about the handling of unknown components in CAP.

Currently in the GET-CAPABILITY command
the side sending the response specifically indicates the components/subcomponent
that it specifically supports.  The relevant text is:

   COMPONENTS    
   1     A comma separated list of the names of
                    
      components that are supported. This
                    
      includes any components inside of
                    
      other components (VALARM for example).
                    
      It MUST include at least VCALSTORE, VCALENDAR,
                    
      VREPLY, and VAGENDA and at least one of VEVENT,
                    
      VTODO, VTIMEZONE, or VJOURNAL. The defalt
                    
      is "VCALSTORE,VCALENDAR,VREPLY,VAGENDA,
                    
      VEVENT,VALARM,VTIMEZONE,VJOURNAL,VTODO,
                    
      DAYLIGHT,STANDARD"

As such, there appears to be no onus
or expectation that a CS can support just any component.  That is,
if I create a VBILBO and want to save it to someone elses CS, if they do
not respond with COMPONENTS:...,VBILBO... then I cannot save that component
to their store.  As such its never going to be possible to save newer
types into older stores.  This doesn't sound good to me...  

Why cant the CS just save the unknown
component/subcomponent as a 'blob' that is likely ungrokable BUT is preservable??
 After all, a CS MUST preserve the unknown properties in a VEVENT
or other supported component, right!?  So why cant it do the same
for unknown components or subcomponents??  

Bruce
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Bruce Kahn                  
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