A question on the HTML verbs GET and POST

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marc
  • Start date Start date
M

Marc

Dear people,

I am studying for 70-528 and in the self paced training kit written by Glenn
Johnson at chapter one I find a list of HTML verbs and their description. If
possible I would like to submit a posting here to clearify a few things I do
not understand.

<text in the book>
GET : Gets a URL from the server. A GET request for a specific URL,
say, /test.htm, retrieves the test.htm file. Data retrieved using this verb
is typically cached by the browser. GET also works with collections, such as
those in directories that contain collections of files. If you request a
directory, the server can be configured to return a default file, such as
index.html, that may be representative of the directory.
</text in the book>


I do not understand the part: GET also works with collections, such as
those in directories that contain collections of files.

What does it mean? GET can transfer a bunch of files from the server to the
browser somehow? If that's it, what is this used for, since I have never
seen it.

<text in the book>
POST : Used to create a new, dynamically named resource. Data retrieved
using this verb is typically not cached.
</text in the book>

I don't get this. I know POST just from posting a form and its content. What
is the 'dynamically named resource'?
 
Marc said:
Dear people,

I am studying for 70-528 and in the self paced training kit written by
Glenn Johnson at chapter one I find a list of HTML verbs and their
description. If possible I would like to submit a posting here to clearify
a few things I do not understand.

<text in the book>
GET : Gets a URL from the server. A GET request for a specific URL,
say, /test.htm, retrieves the test.htm file. Data retrieved using this
verb is typically cached by the browser. GET also works with collections,
such as those in directories that contain collections of files. If you
request a directory, the server can be configured to return a default
file, such as index.html, that may be representative of the directory.
</text in the book>
Click to expand...


i think the writer likes to overdue the jargon. inshort he saying that you
can get the page
http:/microsft.com/default.aspx
but calling the directory
http:/microsft.com/


I do not understand the part: GET also works with collections, such as
those in directories that contain collections of files.

What does it mean? GET can transfer a bunch of files from the server to
the browser somehow? If that's it, what is this used for, since I have
never seen it.

<text in the book>
POST : Used to create a new, dynamically named resource. Data retrieved
using this verb is typically not cached.
</text in the book>

I don't get this. I know POST just from posting a form and its content.
What is the 'dynamically named resource'?
Click to expand...

not sure, more jargon I think, I don't think you have a very good book, a
good book explain things, not just gives them fancy names.
 
ThatsIT.net.au said:
not sure, more jargon I think, I don't think you have a very good book, a
good book explain things, not just gives them fancy names.
Click to expand...

I think you're right there. It's a book for an exam. I have other books with
better content, which I also use, but I use this one since it just covers
all the exam material.

Thanks for the comments.
 
for complete inforation read: http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2616.txt
in summary a http request has three parts:

1) a request verb and uri
2) a list of headers
3) in the case of a post, content


there are serveral verbs (here are the most common)

HEAD - retrieve just the headers for a uri
GET - retrieve headers and content for a uri
POST - retrieve headers and content for a uri but content is included (the
content-type header defines the format of the content) following the request
headers

a GET uri request can be for a directory (with IIS enable directory
browsing), in which case the webserver shoudl return a list of files. the
format is not defined, but usually is a list of links.

don't confuse this with IIS defualt documnent, this is handled by the
webserver sending a redirect toanother URI.

with webdav, the webserver can be a file server. to create a document, you
just post it.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)
 
a GET uri request can be for a directory (with IIS enable directory
browsing), in which case the webserver shoudl return a list of files. the
format is not defined, but usually is a list of links.
Click to expand...

Like when you get this?:

http://www.ow.dds.nl/temp/

and the reply

Index of /temp

Name Last modified Size Description

Parent Directory 13-Jun-2008 19:17 -
bingo1.doc 13-Jun-2008 18:10 20k
bingo2.doc 13-Jun-2008 18:11 20k
bingo3.doc 13-Jun-2008 18:15 21k
bingo4.doc 13-Jun-2008 18:18 20k
 
Back
Top