Webdav Servlet

[Ulf Jaehrig <uj...@desys.com>]

Hi,

today I looked through the webdav servlet. Now I have two questions: On
an OPTIONS request the header is not containing the "MS-Author-Via: DAV"
line. So the MS webdav tools will try the frontpage extensions first. If
this header line would be added to (unneeded) requests would be omitted.

Second question: The second frontpage query is a POST request. This
request is handled by the default implementation of the DefaultServlet.
The default implementation is empty, so a "200 OK" response is
generated. Should the default implementation not deliver something like
a SC_FORBIDDEN?

Bye,
Ulf

Re: Webdav Servlet

[Ulf Jaehrig <uj...@desys.com>]

Hi,

> and guess what I could not find any reference for an "MS-Author-Via: DAV"
> HTTP header field being required by a WebDAV implementation.

I think it is just an MS extension. So it's not required. But it also should
not cause any harm if you add it.

> Could you please provide a reference to where in the WebDAV related
> standards this has been defined ?

I have seen it the first time in the webdav module in apache.

> That's a problem of the MS webdav tools, not using the "DAV:" header for
> detection but instead expecting a Microsoft Products only non
> standardized header parameter, isn't it ?

Yes, I agree entirely  with you. Especially since MS was involved in the
webdav standardization process... But unfortunately most of the current webdav
clients are MS products and these programs expect this additional header. If
you can reduce useless requests to the server by adding this line, don't you
think it would be a good thing?

Bye,
Ulf

Re: Webdav Servlet

[Remy Maucherat <re...@apache.org>]

> > Hi,
>
> Hi there !
>
> > today I looked through the webdav servlet. Now I have two questions: On
> > an OPTIONS request the header is not containing the "MS-Author-Via: DAV"
> > line.
>
> I just had a brief look at ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2518.txt
>
> and guess what I could not find any reference for an "MS-Author-Via: DAV"
> HTTP header field being required by a WebDAV implementation.

It's definitely not a standard header.
However, that's a very interesting explanation. I also noticed that the
latest versions of the Webfolders didn't try to access Frontpage style URLs
anymore, so apparently MS adopted a more standard behavior.

Remy

Re: Webdav Servlet

[Bernd Eilers <be...@stardivision.de>]

> Hi,

Hi there !

> today I looked through the webdav servlet. Now I have two questions: On
> an OPTIONS request the header is not containing the "MS-Author-Via: DAV"
> line. 

I just had a brief look at ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2518.txt

and guess what I could not find any reference for an "MS-Author-Via: DAV"
HTTP header field being required by a WebDAV implementation.

Could you please provide a reference to where in the WebDAV related 
standards this has been defined ?

Section 9.1 of rfc2518 though very clearly describes a required DAV: 
Header that could be used by WebDAV clients to detect wether a resource 
is a WebDAV resource.

> So the MS webdav tools will try the frontpage extensions first.

That's a problem of the MS webdav tools, not using the "DAV:" header for 
detection but instead expecting a Microsoft Products only non 
standardized header parameter, isn't it ?

> If this header line would be added to (unneeded) requests would be 
omitted.

> [...]


> Bye,
> Ulf

Bye,
Bernd