[Engine-devel] REST session management

[Geert Jansen]

On 04/16/2012 01:03 PM, Yaniv Kaul wrote:

>> So (unless someone objects) let's go for option #2 (using the Prefer
>> header on each and every request, and release the session once it is
>> not there).
>
> My only objection is that you implement a draft spec and implement a
> header without even bothering to register it - or asking if there is
> such an identical-purposed header with a different name which may get
> registered / is already in use somewhere.

This is somewhat of a red herring though.

HTTP Prefer was created exactly for the purpose of indicating a 
preference for a certain behavior of response. Have a look at section 
9.1.1 of the draft RFC for the initial preferences and you'll see the 
preferences that are already registered.

HTTP Prefer also defines a registration process for the possible values 
of this header. The process requires an email to preferences at ietf.org 
with a 14 day response time.

The alternative to HTTP Prefer would be creating a new header (as i am 
not aware of any other /approved/ header that fits the bill). This 
requires writing an RFC and get it approved, which would take much 
longer, and which would likely get the comment of "Why aren't you using 
Prefer".

Even if HTTP Prefer, for whatever reason, unexpectedly does not become a 
standard, i think in practice this does not impact us in any way.

Regards
Geert