Subject: Http header including if ECMA (Javascript) is on and the version

From: Scott Morgan <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 13:42:02 -0500

Hi All,

  I have encountered a issue with web design that appears to be part of the
http specification.
I believe that the version of ECMA (Javascript) and if it is on or off
should be included with the http request header when sent to a server.  It
might fit well into this RFC;

  https://www.ietf.org/id/draft-ietf-httpbis-client-hints-02.txt

  Perhaps a new section between 7 & 8 as follows;

8. The ECMA script (Javascript) Client Hint

The "ECMA" request header field is a number or text that
indicates the client's current ECMA implementation version. A blank ECMA
hint would indicate that ECMA script is currently turned off.
ECMA = Text [32 ASCII characters]

If ECMA occurs in a message more than once, the last value
should be used to override other occurrences.
Examples;

#1 ECMA script is turned off
ECMA:

#2 ECMA script is on the Next version
     ECMA: Next

     #3 ECMA script is on version 5.1
     ECMA: 5.1

  The basic thing that I am trying to do is determine if Javascript can be
used to assemble a html page or if it should be done server side if
Javascript is turned off.  Currently I can do this by assuming javascript
is on and then redirecting from the browser when it is off using something
like;
 <noscript><meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=/tt/session.html"></
noscript>

When javascript is on I can assemble (and cache most of the repeated parts
of the page).
 i.e. profile these pages in Chrome and check the speed and cacheing;
http://mokshayoga.com/tt/tuition.html
then
http://mokshayoga.com/tt/index.html

Vs.
https://www.mokshayoga.com/chicago-yoga-policies.html
then
https://www.mokshayoga.com/chicago-yoga-events.html

Cheers,
-- 
Scott Morgan
President & CEO
Adligo Inc
http://www.adligo.com
1-866-968-1893 Ex 101
[email-masked]
By Appointment Only: skype:adligo1?call
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-morgan-21739415

---

From: Kari hurtta <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 09:12:52 +0300 (EEST)

> should be used to override other occurrences.

Seems good idea, but is there really need for ECMA version?

If no, then maybe:

  The "ECMA" request header field indicates the client's 
  ECMA script execution is turned on or off.

    ECMA = "on" / "off" 

  If "ECMA" request header field includes invalid or
  unknown value, this is interpretes as ECMA script execution 
  is turned on.

/ Kari Hurtta

---

From: Philipp Junghannß <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 16:38:09 +0200

while the idea is generally not bad, there's one thing that might make it
even better. if the browser could tell the server that it's on a slow
connection (e.g. mobile internet throttled down to 32kbit/s, no joke) and
the server could say that most of the important things are done serverside
or HTML/CSS only and doing as little js as possible and maybe not use any
large frameworks like jquery and whatever, because at least I get
especially frustrated a lot when there's a javascript submit button which
literally doesnt work because either the script is still loading or simply
has failed to load which results in copy all the text (if its only one box)
refresh, paste (or retype everything again) and hope the button works this
time.
because noscript and stuff doesnt work if the JS is activated in the
browser but e.g fails to load.

---

From: Kari Hurtta <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 20:18:31 +0300 (EEST)

Philipp Junghannß <[email-masked]>: (Sat Oct  8 17:38:09 2016)
> connection (e.g. mobile internet throttled down to 32kbit/s, no joke) and

There is:

6.  The Downlink Client Hint
https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-httpbis-client-hints-02#section-6

|   The "Downlink" request header field is a number that indicates the
|   client's maximum downlink speed in megabits per second (Mbps), as
|   defined by the "downlinkMax" attribute in the W3C Network Information
|   API ([NETINFO]).

/ Kari Hurtta

---

From: Scott Morgan <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2016 12:26:09 -0500

Hi All,

Vs.

Cheers,

---

From: Mark Nottingham <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2016 14:05:59 +1100

Hi Scott,

My sense is that there isn't substantial interest in taking this into this draft, especially at this late stage (it's almost out of Working Group Last Call). 

What we really need to see is some amount of enthusiasm for adding the header by implementers; due to its nature, the most obvious people to be talking to will be browser vendors.

You might have better luck getting the attention of the appropriate people here:
  https://discourse.wicg.io
(this is effectively a discussion forum for new browser features)

That's not to say that this WG wouldn't standardise it if there was demonstrated implementer interest, of course.

Cheers,

> On 16 Oct. 2016, at 4:26 am, Scott Morgan <[email-masked]> wrote:
> 
> Hi All,
> 
>   I have encountered a issue with web design that appears to be part of the http specification.
> I believe that the version of ECMA (Javascript) and if it is on or off should be included with the http request header when sent to a server.  It might fit well into this RFC;
> 
>   The basic thing that I am trying to do is determine if Javascript can be used to assemble a html page or if it should be done server side if Javascript is turned off.  Currently I can do this by assuming javascript is on and then redirecting from the browser when it is off using something like;
>  <noscript><meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=/tt/session.html"></noscript>
> 
> When javascript is on I can assemble (and cache most of the repeated parts of the page).

--
Mark Nottingham   https://www.mnot.net/