Subject: referring to the HTTP spec

From: Ruben Verborgh <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 21:58:55 +0200

Dear all,

On the Hydra mailing list, the topic of "referring to the HTTP spec" came up [1].

What is the best way to refer to "HTTP 1.1 as a whole"
as a normative reference in a technical document,
given that the specification now consists of multiple RFCs?

Best,

Ruben

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-hydra/2014Jul/0112.html

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From: "Roy T. Fielding" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 13:12:46 -0700

> given that the specification now consists of multiple RFCs?

It depends on why you are referencing it.  HTTP as a general concept
would just be a link to the first document (RFC7230) as described in

  http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7230

since it includes the others by reference.

If the reference is a normative dependency, then I would reference each
RFC that is a dependency.  Likewise, I would reference all of the documents
if the intent is to have the reader look at all of them.

....Roy

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From: Ruben Verborgh <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 22:16:25 +0200

> It depends on why you are referencing it.

As in "server need to be fully compatible with the HTTP 1.1 spec".

> HTTP as a general concept

Great, this seems to do the trick then. Thanks!

Ruben