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RE: Generality of HTTP

• To: <xml-dev@l...>
• Subject: RE: Generality of HTTP
• From: "Miles Sabin" <msabin@i...>
• Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 04:09:32 -0000
• Importance: Normal
• In-reply-to: <E16Srzb-0001aa-00@s...>

Gavin Thomas Nicol wrote,
> Miles Sabin wrote:
> > Disconnected operation (whether deliberate or accidental) and
> > endpoint mobility are the tricky cases. It can be done, but it's 
> > not pretty. Other protocols (or hybrids, HTTP+SMTP to name only 
> > the most obvious example) do a better job.
>
> In HTTP as-is you can use PUT/POST and GET to coordinate 
> discontinuous operations. I PUT/POST a request into your URI-space, 
> and you PUT/POST the response, at some point down the road.

Not quite. Suppose the response endpoint is disconnected when the
responder attempts to call back. Yes, the responder can retry later,
or maybe consult some registry or other for an alternative target
URI.

But look what we're doing here: we're layering another protocol on top 
of HTTP, a protocol which doesn't match HTTPs semantics very well. I'm 
not saying it _can't_ be done with HTTP, just that there are better 
ways of going about it.

Cheers,


Miles

-- 
Miles Sabin                                     InterX
Internet Systems Architect                      27 Great West Road
+44 (0)20 8817 4030                             Middx, TW8 9AS, UK
msabin@i...                               http://www.interx.com/

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