IPP Mail Archive: Re: IPP> HTTP transport for IPP

Re: IPP> HTTP transport for IPP

Robert Herriot (Robert.Herriot@Eng.Sun.COM)
Thu, 10 Apr 1997 18:05:47 -0700

> From rturner@sharplabs.com Thu Apr 10 13:30:20 1997
>
>
> Concerning Bob's desire to achieve 1 URL, I agree that it would
> be simpler. But in analyzing the cost difference (development and
> design) between returning 3 URLs and 1 URL, the flexibility and
> scalability of the additional URLs was well worth the code. And
> from a big picture standpoint, I don't consider the effort at
> understanding 1 URL as opposed to 3 URLs noticeable.
>
> Its not that you couldn't do it with 1 URL, it does simplify the
> "create-job" response, but it potentially complicates the
> design of IPP when obtaining the other URLs, if you need them.

I am concerned that the 3-URL solution will have hidden costs that we
haven't discovered, and I am not sure I see the flexibility or
scalability advantages. I would expect the same piece of hardware to
handle all three URL's in 99% of all printer systems. This problem
seems like a datastructure problem where it is usually better to return
a pointer to the root of the structure than to return several
components at the next level.

Having 3 URLs means that we have to decide which to return with each
operation. For example, the GetJobs operations probably doesn't return
the SendJob URL -- maybe I'm wrong, but that is the problem. In
addition, the 3-URL solution may lead to our needing to define a
mechanism/attribute for get one type of job URL from another, e.g. the
modify job URL from the query URL.

Bob Herriot