Re: Multiple response modes

[Rickard Schoultz <[e-mail]>]

I answered the letter attached below before, but I found another reason
why we need to make the "Transfer Complete" required: 

Suppose you are doing a query with a HOLD constraint, which would give
you the ability to put another query or issue another command.  Without
a transfer complete code, the client cannot know when the server reply
ends (not even if we would keep the record count, since the reply may be
a mix of response modes (see the attached letter)).

-Rickard


[Peter wrote:]
> [ Rickard wrote: ]
>> A reply send from a whois++ server has a layout like:
>> 
>> 	# response-mode
>> 	 data
>> 	# END
>> 
>> The whois++ document mentions a `Pointer' response mode, allowing the
>> server to point to another whois++ server (records on another server).
>> The index document also defines a `Servers-To-Ask' reply, which allows a
>> server tell the client to pass the query to another server.

> Yes, this was agreed to but not yet put into the document.

>> It would be very useful if the server could respond with a mix of
>> response modes. One problem with that is that `# END' is defined as the
>> end of the response [of the FORMAT response MODE], so this means that we
>> have to use something else to mark the end of the whole response;
>> Preferably a system response since that is what we are doing.
>> 
>> A server could in this model yield:
>> 
>> 	# FULL
>> 	# USER foo123
>> 	  Name:Grkl Mnpgh
>> 	# END
>> 	# POINTER
>> 	  <some yet-to-be-defined structure>
>> 	# END
>> 	% 226 Transfer complete.
>> 
>> Would that be acceptable?

> Perfectly acceptable to me. If nobody else objects we can
> consider it done. Do we want to _require_ the "Transfer
> complete", or allow a closed connection to signal this?

> I'm thinking of the problem SMTP has without a proper
> acknowledged disconnect mechanism, but in that case a lost
> ack causes retransmits of data (and at times a flood of
> duplicate messages). Would this be a problem for us?

> 				- peterd

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