[NNTP] [2501] Reader commands in transit servers and vice-versa

Clive D.W. Feather clive at demon.net
Thu Dec 2 02:38:18 PST 2004


Okay, new text for 3.3. This replaces the bulleted list and the paragraph
either side of it; the rest of 3.3 is unchanged so far. This closes issue
2501 (subject to any comments on this wording).

    The specific description of each command will describe it as a
    "transit command", a "reader command", or a "general command". An
    NNTP server may be "transit-only", "reader-only", or "general-use".

    * A general-use server MUST fully implement all the commands in this
      specification.
    * All servers MUST recognise all the commands in this specification
      (and so MUST NOT return a 500 response code for them).
    * All servers MUST fully implement all general commands.
    * A transit-only server MUST fully implement all transit commands,
      but does not need to implement reader commands.
    * A reader-only server MUST fully implement all reader commands,
      but does not need to implement transit commands.

    For this purpose, "commands in this specification" includes the
    commands in any extensions that the server supports (except where
    the command is optional) but not those in Section 8 where the server
    does not support the relevant extension. 

    Where a transit-only or reader-only server does not implement a reader
    or transit command, it MUST always generate a 502 generic response
    code.  Otherwise the command must be fully implemented as specified; 
    a server MUST NOT only partially implement any of the commands in this
    specification. 

    Note: some commands have variants that require other commands to be
    used first. If the former command is implemented but the latter is not,
    the former MUST still generate the relevant specific response code and
    not the 502 generic code. For example, if ARTICLE is implemented but
    GROUP is not, the correct response to "ARTICLE 1234" remains 412.

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather  | Work:  <clive at demon.net>   | Tel:    +44 20 8495 6138
Internet Expert     | Home:  <clive at davros.org>  | Fax:    +44 870 051 9937
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Thus plc            |                            |



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