Re: LYNX-DEV Re: Using Lynx -post_data option

[Foteos Macrides]

"Benjamin C. W. Sittler" <address@hidden> wrote:
>On Fri, 8 Nov 1996, G. Del Merritt wrote:
>
>> In-reply-to: "address@hidden"'s message of 8-NOV-1996 14:44:31.22
>> >    Lynx2-5 still mishandles the redirection, i.e., converts from
>> >POST to GET and drops the content, as if it had gotten a 303, even though
>> >it got a 302.  That's what the script is (incorrectly) expecting the
>> >browser to do.  I just tried it from here with a lynx2-5 image, and it
>> >worked, so that's not your problem.  Since I can't reproduce your problem
>> >with lynx2-5, I don't have another guess on what it might be.
>> >
>> >    But that FORM should be changed to use METHOD=GET, or its CGI
>> >script should be changed to return a 303 instead of 302 status.
>> >
>> >    If you've upgraded to v2.6, be sure to include the Composite
>> >replacements, or lynx2-6mods.zip replacements, so you are offered an
>> >option to treat the 302 as a 303, and can actually use that FORM.
>> 
>> Please pardon me for being thick.  Where is the definitive (at least related
>> to Lynx) discourse on the 302 v. 303, POST v. GET issues?  Is it only in the
>> Lynx Archives, or is there another source.
>> 
>> Private responses are OK by me if this is a really Dumb Question(rm).
>
>No, this isn't a stupid question. The 303 HTTP response was introduced in
>HTTP/1.1 (a.k.a. HTTPng, for "next generation") when it was realized that
>the great majority of servers and CGIs mis-used the 302 response when
>queried with the POST method. 303 basically does what these programs
>thought 302 did. This is discussed briefly in the HTTP/1.1 specification
>[1], and in more detail in the archives for the HTTP mailing list (sorry,
>no URL handy.) 
>
>[1] HTTP/1.1 - Proposed Standard
>    http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/Protocols/Specs.html#HTTP1.1

        Links to both the HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1 Specs are in the v2.6
online 'h'elp.

        In either the HTTP/1.0 or HTTP/1.1 specs, do a WHEREIS ('/')
search for "redirection".

                                Fote

=========================================================================
 Foteos Macrides            Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research
 address@hidden         222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
=========================================================================
;
; To UNSUBSCRIBE:  Send a mail message to address@hidden
;                  with "unsubscribe lynx-dev" (without the
;                  quotation marks) on a line by itself.
;