users@jsr311.java.net

Re: WebDAV Support

From: Paul Sandoz <Paul.Sandoz_at_Sun.COM>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 11:22:57 +0200

Sergey Beryozkin wrote:
> Hi
>
> > Part of the WebDAV protocol are the MKCOL and PROPFIND commands
>
> My understanding is that you can easily create a @MKCOL or @PROPFIND
> annotations, same way @GET/_at_POST/etc are created around an @HttpMethod
> annotation. Have a look please at the @GET source for ex.
>

Correct. A JAX-RS runtime MUST support annotations that are annotated
with the meta-annotation @HttpMethod. So a developer can create an
annotation such as:

   @Target({ElementType.METHOD})
   @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
   @HttpMethod("MKCOL")
   public @interface MKCOL { }

And that annotation can be used with any conforming JAX-RS
implementation i.e. it is portable across implementations.

Paul.

> Cheers, Sergey
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Markus Karg <mailto:karg_at_quipsy.de>
> *To:* users_at_jsr311.dev.java.net <mailto:users_at_jsr311.dev.java.net>
> *Sent:* Monday, May 26, 2008 8:46 AM
> *Subject:* WebDAV Support
>
> As I am very interested in WebDAV based RESTful WebServices I want
> to provide some feedback on the current draft of JSR-311 "JAX-RS:
> Java API for RESTful WebServices".
>
>
>
> The current draft (April 18, 2008) says in chapter 1.2 "Goals": "
> The API will provide high level support for common HTTP usage
> patterns and will be 8
>
> sufficiently flexible to support a variety of HTTP applications
> including WebDAV[6] and the Atom 9
>
> Publishing Protocol[7]. ". Reading this, people will assume that
> WebDAV is supported beyond the core http verbs.
>
>
>
> Part of the WebDAV protocol are the MKCOL and PROPFIND commands.
> Those are needed to create and list the directory structure.
> Microsoft Windows for example is able to use any WebDAV folder just
> like a CIFS folder: It can list it's directory structure, and it can
> create folders on the WebDAV folder.
>
>
>
> RESTful WebServices ontop of WebDAV are a cool feature, because it
> would allow to use Microsoft Windows Explorer, Konqueror or any
> other WebDAV enabled file system browser (even the DIR and CD
> commands in Windows XP's CMD.exe command line shell) to browse
> content that actually is not physically existing, but computed by a
> Java-implemented WebService. It is the dream of our company to not
> provide our own client software for our enteprise application, but
> just let people use their WebDAV file system browser of choice to
> browse through our database content. Data rows will show up as
> simple files. Users that never knew what a database is could deal
> with the date. Wouldn't that be great? It would.
>
>
>
> Since folders are an essential part of both, the paradigm of file
> management and WebDAV as a file management protocol, support for
> folders in JSR-311 is absolutely essential and would be quite simple
> to add to the specification.
>
>
>
> Unfortunately we not find annotations for PROPFIND and MKCOL in the
> current draft. It seems, that *real* support for WebDAV is not part
> of the specification, despite above quote of the goals chapter. We
> do not understand how you meant "will be sufficiently flexible to
> support … WebDAV", because we do not see how JAX-RS will enable the
> programmer to react to the PROPFIND and MKCOL verbs.
>
>
>
> Unless there will be @PROPFIND / @MKCOL or a general @VERB("<verb>")
> annotations, it seems it is impossible to provide real support for
> WebDAV in JAX-RS. Actually we think that @VERB("<verb>") would be a
> better, since more flexible, approach compared to a fixed set of
> @GET, @POST etc. annotations independent of the missing PROPFIND and
> MKCOL support.
>
>
>
> We know that you do not guarantee to answer on any single feedback,
> but since our target design essentially needs the WebDAV folder
> support, we would be really glad if you could answer how it is
> planned to support those WebDAV features in the final release of
> JSR-311.
>
>
>
> Thanks a lot! :-)
>
> Markus
>
>
>
> QUIPSY QUALITY GmbH & Co. KG
>
> Ein Unternehmen der MES-Gruppe
>
> Stuttgarter Strasse 23
>
> D-75179 Pforzheim
>
> Tel: 07231-9189-52
>
> Fax: 07231-9189-59
>
> www.quipsy.de <http://www.quipsy.de>
>
> karg_at_quipsy.de <mailto:karg_at_quipsy.de>
>
> Registergericht Mannheim HRA 701214
>
> Geschäftsführer: Nils Schroeder
>
>
>
> Diese E-Mail enthält persönliche, vertrauliche und vor Weitergabe
> geschützte Informationen und ist ausschließlich für den vorgesehenen
> o.g. Empfänger (Adressaten) bestimmt. Falls Sie diese E-Mail
> versehentlich erhalten haben und nicht der vorgesehene Empfänger
> sind, bitten wir Sie, die E-Mail und deren Anhänge nicht
> aufzubewahren, nicht zu vervielfältigen, nicht zu nutzen und nicht
> weiterzugeben. Bitte informieren Sie uns als Absender über diesen
> Zustellungsfehler und löschen Sie die E-Mail.
>
>
>
> ----------------------------
> IONA Technologies PLC (registered in Ireland)
> Registered Number: 171387
> Registered Address: The IONA Building, Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4, Ireland

-- 
| ? + ? = To question
----------------\
    Paul Sandoz
         x38109
+33-4-76188109