PROPOSAL: URL-syntax (Was: Re: Official revision syntax for Subversion URLs)

Currently proposed methods for URL's of revisions have several flaws:

  - they either make some files unnamable by the syntax, or require
escaping of certain caracters
  - they make relative operations on URL's fail, (URL to "./foo" gives
you HEAD rev. of foo, not the same revision as you asked for this file)
  - The "?" notation makes the results uncacheable (jf.
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2616.txt)

I propose an alternate notation:

Add any revision-encoding to the repository path, example:

   http://svn.foo/repository;1234/dir/file

The ";" could be whatever you like, just something unusual will be best.

Pros:

  - It captures the exact philosophy behind subversion, that
repositories have revisions, not files.
  - It allows _any_ file-names representable in URL notation
  - It makes relative URL's work (moving to ./file2 gives you rev. 1234,
not HEAD)
  - It's easy usable for scripts/cmd-line, no escaping
  - HTTP allows caching of the resulting values

Cons:

  - It disallows repositories with certain names, for example if we
choose the ";" you cannot have a repository directory named
".*;([0-9]+|HEAD)"

What's your thoughts?

-- 
Helge
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