IPP Mail Archive: Re: IPP> Chunking Explanation

Re: IPP> Chunking Explanation

Michael Sweet (mike@easysw.com)
Fri, 22 Jan 1999 11:46:46 -0500

"Hastings, Tom N" wrote:
> ...
> In order to conform to IPP/1.0, IPP objects MUST be able to
> receive and decode HTTP/1.1 messages encoded with the "chunked"
> transfer-coding. Therefore, IPP/1.0, implementers that are using
> CGI scripts need to either (1) use a web server that is able to
> receive and decode HTTP/1.1 chunked POST requests or (2) use
> another implementation approach..
>
> Comments?
> ...

I think we're getting too caught up in the transport (HTTP) side of
things. IPP is piggy-backing on HTTP, and HTTP doesn't mandate that
the server support chunking for POST operations. Unless this is
changed in future revs of HTTP 1.1, we should probably stick with
Carl's original recommendation:

We strongly RECOMMEND that all IPP/1.0 applications be able to
receive and decode HTTP/1.1 messages encoded with the "chunked"
transfer-coding. Specifically, IPP objects SHOULD be able to
receive and decode chunked POST requests.

and maybe add a warning paragraph or two to the implementer's guide
stating:

While IPP servers are not required to support chunking, IPP
clients are not required to (and in many cases cannot) switch
transfer encodings to accomodate limitations in the server.
Servers that do not implement chunking therefore run the risk
of not working with a large number of IPP clients.

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products                  mike@easysw.com
Printing Software for UNIX                       http://www.easysw.com