I am afraid that my point is not understood. It is all quite simple. We only have to agree that, when I publicise my base-url, others only have to stick the SRU request after it, without worrying about my cgi script. So it is up to everyone' s own implementation how their base-url looks like but the client should never put the "?" between the base- url and the request. One server might prefer http://someurl/database? as base-url, the other might prefer http://someurl?database&. The client doesn't have to be aware of the difference. It is important to realize that this is different from using local parameters! Local x- parameters are actually used and known as parameters by the clients. The parameters before the "?" are not to be USED by clients as parameters but are just a fixed part of the base-url. Theo On 23 Dec 2003 at 12:40, Matthew J. Dovey wrote: > Ah, now I see. > > I'd refrained from diving in since I wasn't sure what was being asked > for. > > I don't really like it - strictly speaking (as I understand it) CGI > scripts aren't sensitive (or meant to be sensitive) to the order of > parameters after the ? i.e. > > http://someurl?param1=stuff¶m2=stuff > > And > > http://someurl?param2=stuff¶m1=stuff > > Would normally have the same behaviour. > > I'd prefer to see a url of the form: > > http://someurl/database?version=1.1&operation=searchRetrieve... > > Agreed this involves a little more parsing of the URL (this would > actually be fairly trivial for a Java servlet, but perhaps more complex > for a perl script - another example of toolkit as impediment!). > > However, we have a mechanism for adding server specific parameters would > could be used here? > > Matthew > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Z39.50 Next-Generation Initiative [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > > On Behalf Of Theo van Veen > > Sent: Monday, December 22, 2003 11:10 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Betr.: Re: SRU examples > > > > No, I'm not talking about parameters before the "?". I'm talking about > > the possibility that the base-url contains parameters, but after "?". > > > > For example a base-url like: > > > > http://myserver.com/my-cgi/mysrw.pl?database=abc& > > > > The client can stick the request after the base-url without having to > > know that "database=abc" is a parameter. This implies that the "?" is > > part of the base-url and should not be added again. > > > > Theo > > > > > > > > >>> [log in to unmask] 12/22 11:19 >>> > > LeVan,Ralph wrote: > > > > >Has anyone noticed that Theo is talking about parameters before the > > '?' and > > >Eliot is talking about them after the '?'. > > > > > >I don't think you get to stick parameters in front of the '?'. > > > > > > > > Yep. We want parameters after ?. Just like forms/CGI has worked for > > the > > last 10 years. > > > > -- Adam > > > > >Ralph > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > > >From: Theo van Veen [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > > >Sent: Monday, December 22, 2003 9:56 AM > > >To: [log in to unmask] > > >Subject: Re: SRU examples > > > > > > > > >This is OK. It is not the intention to have official SRU parameters > > to > > >preceed "?". It is > > >just that it should be possible to have parameters being part of the > > >base-url without the > > >client being aware of that parameters and in such a case the base-url > > may > > >end with > > >"&" rather than "?". An SRU request is in my opion baseurl > > + request. > > The > > >base-url is > > >a given thing and the request is build by the client. The > > operation is > > part > > >of the SRU > > >request and therefore a client has to be aware that parameter. > > > > > >Theo > > > > > > > > >On 22 Dec 2003 at 14:48, Janifer Gatenby wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > >>Here is a new version of SRU examples taking into account comments > > by > > >> > > >> > > >Ralph > > > > > > > > >>and Matthew on 19th December. Currently the "?" precedes operation > > in the > > >>URL. I realise that this may in fact change again following Eliot's > > and > > >>Theo's comments. Regardless of where it is finally put, we > > should add > > some > > >>explanatory text in the SRU URL access mechanism document. > > >> > > >>Janifer > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > >