[Standards-JIG] how to handle IQ while invisible

[Andrew Plotkin]

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006, Le Boulanger Yann wrote:

> Richard Dobson wrote:
>>
>> Why couldnt the client respond with recipient unavailable, just as the
>> server would?
>
>
> does all server do that ? If I have  server that doesn't send exactly
> the same message (with \n or things like that) I can identify it's not
> exactly the same.
>
> and IMHO a client should not emulate a server ...

A client cannot emulate a server. Whitespace is the least of the problems.

I did some quick IQ tests -- sending a Jabber-RPC query to different 
clients and servers. I saw a <service-unavailable> from one server, 
<feature-not-implemented> from another, <item-not-found> from another. I 
assume there are still old servers that return <error code="..."> with no 
specific error element.

Then there are differences in attribute ordering. And in element ordering 
(does the <error> go before or after the <query>?)

Conclusion: there is no good way for a client to mimic an arbitrary 
server's "you can't do that" response.

(I suppose the client could send a badly-addressed IQ packet to its own 
server, store the error response, and use that as a template. I think it's 
safe to say that's a terrible solution.)

--Z

-- 
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
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