ietf-nntp HDR

[Clive D.W. Feather]

Ade Lovett said:
>>>> Making one command require another one to be used first is a bad idea
>>>> unless it can be justified in contextual terms. Requiring GROUP before NEXT
>>>> makes sense. Requring LIST OVERVIEW.FMT before HDR doesn't. What are you
>>>> going to do if the client doesn't bother ? Reject it for being awkward ?
>>> Then change it to a SHOULD (and be prepared to deal with the consequences if
>>> it doesn't,
>> *what* consequences ?
> The blindingly obvious one which you yourself state one paragraph down,
> namely that the client may start seeing 5xx's.
> 
> It's also an optimization thing.  A client may not want the entire overview
> entry, but a couple of specific headers (perhaps, shock horror, those not
> mentioned in the NOV spec).  It does a LIST OVERVIEW.FMT, sees the list of
> headers and goes "wow, I can grab this header instead of the entire overview
> or, worse, using HEAD).

And why does any of this justify requiring LIST OVERVIEW.FMT before using
HDR ? Which, to remind you, was your original demand^Wsuggestion.

In any case:

Your way:
    Do LIST OVERVIEW.FMT
    Parse results for desired header
    If found:
        Use HDR
        If get 5xx, curse non-conforming server and use HEAD
    else
        use HEAD

The simpler way:
    Use HDR
    If get 5xx, use HEAD

Um, I *still* don't see the benefits.

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather  | Work:  <clive at demon.net>   | Tel:  +44 20 8371 1138
Internet Expert     | Home:  <clive at davros.org>  | Fax:  +44 20 8371 4037
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