Upload protocols

upload.md

Server ideals

• stateless
• tell, don't ask

Client ideals

• graceful degredation (should be possible to manually split and submit files via forms)
• a minimum of logic
  • chunk files
  • submit server-provided forms
• Don't overload standard single-request/response POST

Variations

No upfront manifest

S3 (upload-as-bucket)

• POST to / -> URL (actually an ID, but...)
• POST repreatedly to URL
• (optional) GET URL (?) for list of associated POSTs
• POST with list of URLs to concat

Benefits from being fully-distributed.

The same could be done using PATCH

Upfront manifest

PATCH sequential

• POST to / with total length -> URL
• GET URL for PATCH form with server-specified byte start and stop values
• Server stops serving PATCH form when length is reached

PATCH non-sequential (torrent-ish)

• POST to / with total length -> URL
• GET URL for rolling list of PUT or PATCH forms to specific chunks (maybe best with distinct URLs)

Minimal

• POST to / with form containing hidden complete (default: true) and offset (default: 0) inputs
• js sets complete to false -> server provides a PATCH form with an incrementing offset (and possibly end byte) value
• js sets complete to true on last PATCH