My URL looks like this:
http://localhost:8080/SRW/search/dbname/SearchRetrieveRequest?  The
SRW/search part causes a servlet to start that finds the dbname in the
remaining part of the URL.  Being in the opaque part of the URL, its use is
outside of the standard.  I'm not violating any rules by processing my URL
in this way.  So, after I've found the dbname and discover that I can't
initialize a database by that name, I return a specific diagnostic.  If the
sent my http://localhost:8080/XRW/..., they'd get a 404 as my servlet would
be in the loop.

Ralph

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Theo van Veen [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 12:13 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: No such database diagnostic
>
>
> When does this error occur when there is only one access pont
> per database? Or am I
> missing new specs  for metasearches?
> Anyway imo a HTTP 404 should be returned by a webserver when
> there is no service
> related to the request. As soon as you reached an SRU/SRW
> service a SRW/SRU
> diagnostic would give a better indication of the actual error
> than a http message.
>
> Theo
>
> On 16 Dec 2003 at 10:41, Mike Taylor wrote:
>
> > > Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 16:54:00 -0500
> > > From: "LeVan,Ralph" <[log in to unmask]>
> > >
> > > What response should I give to an SRU request for a
> non-existant database?
> >
> > We discussed this week or two ago, I think.  I favoured just telling
> > it like it is: HTTP 404 Not Found.  But others had
> different ideas and
> > there was no conclusion.
> >
> > There must be prior art for similar URL-based web services?
> >
> >  _/|_
> _______________________________________________________________
> > /o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <[log in to unmask]>
> http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
> > )_v__/\  "July the 16th.  Fell off near Bude.  Pump caught
> in my sock.
> >          I wonder if a shorter pump is the answer?" --
> Monty Python's
> >          Flying Circus.
> >
> > --
> > Listen to my wife's new CD of kids' music, _Child's Play_, at
> >         http://www.pipedreaming.org.uk/childsplay/
>