Re: lynx-dev Re: clicktv search (was nothing)

[David Woolley]

> using a GET instead of POST, but usually that works.  (Sidebar:  Should
> rewriting a POST as a GET URL work.  I know that sometimes it does, but do
> the specs require it?)

No, they are completely different operations.  A POST adds information
to the resource referenced by the URL and must always be sent through,
whereas a GET returns information from the resource and can be satisfied
by a cache (although common abuse means that the caching rules now say
that a GET in forms syntax should not be cached unless it is marked
as explicitly cachable).  Browsers often cache GET forms.

POST is often used when GET is the appropriate operation, because:

- POST allows more parameters;

- POST allows non-ASCII characters in a defined manner;

- POST parameters are less likely to get logged by caches;

- of ignorance;

- of defeating caching for commercial reasons;

- of authoring tools that only have a POST template for forms.

When POST is used in this way, GET is quite likely to work as well.