ISSUE-98: HTTP status code for application specific errors

bertails

HTTP status code for application specific errors

State:

CLOSED

Product:

Best Practices & Guidelines

Raised by:

Alexandre Bertails

Opened on:

2014-04-24

Description:

LDP does not defined a recommended status code for application specific errors. 4.2.1.6 [1] currently says that the status code is in the 4xx range, plus the use of the rel=describedby Link header.

Here is the discussion I had this morning with SteveS:

[[
<betehess> SteveS, looks like the LDP spec is vague re: status code for business logic errors (I guess on purpose :-). It says 4xx + rel=describedby. Unofficially, which 4xx would you choose?
<SteveS> 400
<betehess> my colleagues think that 400 looks too much like a fallback strategy
<SteveS> I agree with the sentiment that 400 is “fall back” but I don’t see anything better
<SteveS> perhaps we should create/propose one?
<betehess> that would be a good idea
<betehess> I would expect the spec to help me choose one for business logic errors
<betehess> but that would be kinda a fallback as well
<betehess> so maybe 400 is just good enough when used with rel=describedby
<betehess> or we need something targeting specifically application specific logic
<SteveS> yes, well what we have now is the link and you follow it and maybe what you get helps
<SteveS> we could improve it by a) a different status code and/or b) a specialized link relation
]]

I am totally fine with the 3 following solutions:

1. 400 + rel=describedby
2. new status code
3. 400 + specialized link relation

I have a slight preference for 1. as it is less work.

Alexandre

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/ldp/#h5_ldpr-gen-pubclireqs

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Related emails:

1. Re: ldp-ISSUE-98 (bertails): HTTP status code for application specific errors [Linked Data Platform Spec] (from sspeiche@gmail.com on 2014-04-24)
2. ldp-ISSUE-98 (bertails): HTTP status code for application specific errors [Linked Data Platform Spec] (from sysbot+tracker@w3.org on 2014-04-24)

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