[Zope-dev] WebDav Bug? -- id != name?

[Brian Lloyd]

> Or even just a property "DAV_extension" that lets you specify the file 
> extension when using webDAV. When files are uploaded via WebDAV, 
> the ext is 
> stripped from the id and stored in this property. It is 
> reappended by Zope 
> when accessing the object through WebDAV.
> 
> At least that way it is magic is under your direct control.

The problem (a problem) is that "accessing the object through
WebDAV" is not a tightly bounded thing. DAV is built over HTTP,
and (intentionally) GET and PUT requests by DAV clients are not 
distinguishable from regular HTTP intent (thus the "source vs.
rendered" problem).

An example: a DAV client does a PROPFIND on a folder, and the 
folder lies and says "mymethod.html" is there (when its real 
id is just "mymethod"). The client will likely then do a HEAD 
or a GET on it - which doesn't go through any DAV code at all 
and the lookup will fail with a 404 Not Found.

That means that if we were to try to implement this, it is not a 
simple matter of "changing the DAV code", as this would affect 
publishing, security, potentially all name lookup code and who 
knows what else :(

Again, that does not mean it could not happen, but someone will 
need to invest a non-trivial amount of time to come up with a 
proposal that comprehensively assesses (and provides recommendations
for addressing) all of the side effects so that the community can 
make a reasonable decision on whether it is worth the effort.

Brian Lloyd        brian@zope.com          
Zope Corporation   www.zope.com