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PaceRequireContentType


Abstract

Require Content-Type header on POST requets

Status

Open; based on APP draft 09

Rationale

Getting back a HTTP status 415 ("Unsupported Media Type") is much more helpful than an HTTP status 500.

Proposal

Between the first and second sentence of section 8.1, insert "The Content-Type header is required in the Request." The revised first paragraph would now read:

8.1  Creating resources with POST

   To add members to a collection, clients send POST requests to the
   collection's URI.  The Content-Type header is required in the
   Request.  Collections MAY impose constraints on the media-types 
   of request entities POSTed to the collection and MAY generate a
   response with a status code of 415 ("Unsupported Media Type").

Impacts

Makes life significantly easier for the server at essentially no cost to the client.

Notes

Content-Type is a SHOULD for messages with bodies, per RFC2616, section 7.2.1. The APP amounts to a profile of HTTP, and may pose additional constraints.


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