ietf-nntp Alternative HDR parameter proposal

[Ken Murchison]

Clive D.W. Feather wrote:
> Ken Murchison said:
> 
>>   A server MUST NOT try to list header and metadata items when it
>>advertises
>>   the HDR ALL capability.  In this case, a 503 response MUST be
>>returned.
> 
> 
> The problem here is that while the possible headers are unlimited, and you
> have to look in the articles, the metadata available *has* to be defined by
> the server.
> Therefore I suggest that there be a different response code (216?) for the
> ALL case, which lists only those metadata items supported by the server;
> it would be required to include :lines and :bytes.

Hmm.  If it is necessary to enumerate the metadata regardless of which 
headers are supported, perhaps we ditch the ALL capability keyword.  We 
can either use a different LIST HEADERS response code in the ALL case 
(as you suggest above), or a special keyword in the 215 response, eg:

C> LIST HEADERS
S> 215 headers follow:
S> *                   <= means all headers
S> :lines
S> :bytes
S> .

-- 
Kenneth Murchison     Oceana Matrix Ltd.
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