RE: Query parameter separator value

The list of characters allowed [1] in a query (where the {http query
parameter separator} is utilized) is:

   query         = *( pchar / "/" / "?" )
   pchar         = unreserved / pct-encoded / sub-delims / ":" / "@"
   unreserved    = ALPHA / DIGIT / "-" / "." / "_" / "~"
   pct-encoded   = "%" HEXDIG HEXDIG
   sub-delims    = "!" / "$" / "&" / "'" / "(" / ")"

Compiling that down and factoring out % (which can't appear as a single
character without causing damage) we get:

   ALPHA / DIGIT / "-" / "." / "_" / "~" / "!" / "$" / "&" / "'" / 
   "(" / ")" / ":" / "@" / "/" / "?"

I assume these are the query parameter separators that can be used
effectively.  If we were to restrict the value space of the
queryParameterSeparater attribute that's the list I would start with.

ALPHA and DIGIT would be the first things I'd dump from the list, but I'm
not sure I want to start going down the path of deciding which of the
allowed characters are really useful.

BTW, I recorded this as issue CR156 [1].

[1] http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3986.txt
[2] http://www.w3.org/2002/ws/desc/5/cr-issues/#CR156

Jonathan Marsh - http://www.wso2.com - http://auburnmarshes.spaces.live.com
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
> Behalf Of Jean-Jacques Moreau
> Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 7:41 AM
> To: Youenn Fablet
> Cc: www-ws-desc
> Subject: Re: Query parameter separator value
> 
> 
> Option 2 would be to add an assertion that the instance data MUST NOT
> contain the queryParameterSeparator.
> 
> JJ.
> 
> Youenn Fablet wrote:
> >
> > Reading the specification, it seems that the only constraint on the
> > separator value is to be a xml string of length 1.
> > It would therefore be possible to have a separator value that needs to
> > be %-encoded in the URL (e.g. queryParameterSeparator="é").
> > I do not know whether that was intended but in this case, the query
> > string may become ambiguous: if the separator value appears in a
> > parameter value, it will be %-encoded exactly like the separator
> > value. It might be safer to restrict the separator value range.
> >
> > In any case, the most sensible values are '&' and ';'. Is there any
> > other obvious possibility?
> > While '&' is the default value, ';' does not appear AFAIKT neither in
> > the spec nor in the primer.
> > It might therefore be good to add a statement that tells a word about
> > these values, maybe as a SHOULD.
> > Regards,
> >    Youenn
> >
> >
> >
>