Just some thoughts on WML and type maps / meta files

[Axel Beckert <nospam@thanx>]

Hi!

Just a weird idea I'm actually playing around a little bit:

Would it be useful to add to wml::std::lang the possibility to create
also meta data files for each output file, e.g. type maps for static
content negotiation instead of MultiViews (regarding Apache
mod_negotiation) or meta files for addtional headers with Apache
mod_cern_meta or CERN HTTPd?

Example: Instead of only outputting index.en.html and index.en.html,
we also output index.var (type map) or index.en.html.meta and
index.en.html.meta (meta files).

index.wml:
 1| #use wml::std:lang
 2|
 3| <lang:new id=de short meta>
 4| <lang:new id=en short meta>
 5| <lang:star:slice: index.*.html>
 6|
 7| Everywhere
 8| <EN>Foobar</EN>\
 9| <DE>Schwachfug</DE>
10| # Ok, there are more useful HTTP headers to add or modify
11| <META:EN>Last-Modification: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 21:49:17 GMT</META:EN>
12| <META:DE>Last-Modification: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 21:49:17 GMT</META:DE>

index.en.html:
 1| Everywhere
 2| Foobar

index.de.html:
 1| Everywhere
 2| Schwachfug

index.en.html.meta:
 1| Last-Modification: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 21:49:17 GMT

index.de.html.meta:
 1| Last-Modification: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 12:34:11 GMT

This is useful for SSI documents, of which usually the Apache don't
send Last-Modification header if you don't the "XBitHack full"
directive. And I can control the sending of additional headers in the
source file... :-)

Any comments? Useful? Totally crazy? :-)

BTW: I actually implemented the .meta-Version for working with Apache
mod_cern_meta using "MetaDir ." and "MetaSuffix .meta". If anyone has
interest in that version...

		Regards, Axel
-- 
Axel Beckert - abe@cs.uni-sb.de - http://abe.home.pages.de/
Student of Computer Science, University of Saarland (Germany)
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI Lab), Prof. Dr. W. Wahlster;
WWW-/FTP-Administrator IBFI Schloß Dagstuhl; Students Representative CS
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