1. `Reading a file`_
2. `Writing/Uploading a File`_
3. `Creating a New Directory`_
- 4. `Get Information About A File Or Directory (as JSON)`_
- 5. `Attaching an existing File or Directory by its read- or write-cap`_
- 6. `Adding multiple files or directories to a parent directory at once`_
- 7. `Deleting a File or Directory`_
+ 4. `Getting Information About A File Or Directory (as JSON)`_
+ 5. `Attaching an Existing File or Directory by its read- or write-cap`_
+ 6. `Adding Multiple Files or Directories to a Parent Directory at Once`_
+ 7. `Unlinking a File or Directory`_
6. `Browser Operations: Human-Oriented Interfaces`_
1. `Viewing A Directory (as HTML)`_
2. `Viewing/Downloading a File`_
- 3. `Get Information About A File Or Directory (as HTML)`_
+ 3. `Getting Information About A File Or Directory (as HTML)`_
4. `Creating a Directory`_
5. `Uploading a File`_
6. `Attaching An Existing File Or Directory (by URI)`_
- 7. `Deleting A Child`_
+ 7. `Unlinking A Child`_
8. `Renaming A Child`_
9. `Other Utilities`_
10. `Debugging and Testing Features`_
7. `Other Useful Pages`_
8. `Static Files in /public_html`_
-9. `Safety and security issues -- names vs. URIs`_
+9. `Safety and Security Issues -- Names vs. URIs`_
10. `Concurrency Issues`_
+
Enabling the web-API port
=========================
option to the 'tahoe create-node' command. By default, the node listens on
port 3456, on the loopback (127.0.0.1) interface.
+
Basic Concepts: GET, PUT, DELETE, POST
======================================
PUT, or DELETE. POST operations can be thought of as a method call: sending
some message to the object referenced by the URL. In Tahoe, POST is also used
for operations that must be triggered by an HTML form (including upload and
-delete), because otherwise a regular web browser has no way to accomplish
+unlinking), because otherwise a regular web browser has no way to accomplish
these tasks. In general, everything that can be done with a PUT or DELETE can
also be done with a POST.
expected to use the RESTful interface described above. The second is a human
using a standard web browser to work with the filesystem. This user is given
a series of HTML pages with links to download files, and forms that use POST
-actions to upload, rename, and delete files.
+actions to upload, rename, and unlink files.
When an error occurs, the HTTP response code will be set to an appropriate
400-series code (like 404 Not Found for an unknown childname, or 400 Bad Request
``text/*``, or text/html (or if there is no Accept header), HTML tracebacks will
be generated.
+
URLs
====
the security properties of Tahoe caps to be extended across the web-API
interface.
+
Slow Operations, Progress, and Cancelling
=========================================
handles. Instead, they emit line-oriented status results immediately. Client
code can cancel the operation by simply closing the HTTP connection.
+
Programmatic Operations
=======================
that use HTTP to communicate with a Tahoe node. A later section describes
operations that are intended for web browsers.
+
Reading A File
--------------
"Browser Operations", for details on how to modify these URLs for that
purpose.
+
Writing/Uploading A File
------------------------
mutable file, and return its write-cap in the HTTP respose. The default is
to create an immutable file, returning the read-cap as a response.
+
Creating A New Directory
------------------------
This operation will return an error if the parent directory is immutable,
or already has a child named NAME.
-Get Information About A File Or Directory (as JSON)
----------------------------------------------------
+
+Getting Information About A File Or Directory (as JSON)
+-------------------------------------------------------
``GET /uri/$FILECAP?t=json``
time.
-Attaching an existing File or Directory by its read- or write-cap
+Attaching an Existing File or Directory by its read- or write-cap
-----------------------------------------------------------------
``PUT /uri/$DIRCAP/[SUBDIRS../]CHILDNAME?t=uri``
would result in granting the cap's write authority to holders of the
directory read cap.
-Adding multiple files or directories to a parent directory at once
+
+Adding Multiple Files or Directories to a Parent Directory at Once
------------------------------------------------------------------
``POST /uri/$DIRCAP/[SUBDIRS..]?t=set_children``
backward compatibility should continue to use "set_children".
-Deleting a File or Directory
-----------------------------
+Unlinking a File or Directory
+-----------------------------
``DELETE /uri/$DIRCAP/[SUBDIRS../]CHILDNAME``
be modified.
Note that this does not actually delete the file or directory that the name
- points to from the tahoe grid -- it only removes the named reference from
+ points to from the tahoe grid -- it only unlinks the named reference from
this directory. If there are other names in this directory or in other
directories that point to the resource, then it will remain accessible
through those paths. Even if all names pointing to this object are removed
This method returns the file- or directory- cap of the object that was just
removed.
+
Browser Operations: Human-oriented interfaces
=============================================
specified by using <input type="hidden"> elements. For clarity, the
descriptions below display the most significant arguments as URL query args.
+
Viewing A Directory (as HTML)
-----------------------------
contains forms to upload new files, and to unlink files and directories
from their parent directory. Those forms use POST methods to do their job.
+
Viewing/Downloading a File
--------------------------
this form can *only* be used with file caps; it is an error to use a
directory cap after the /named/ prefix.
-Get Information About A File Or Directory (as HTML)
----------------------------------------------------
+
+Getting Information About A File Or Directory (as HTML)
+-------------------------------------------------------
``GET /uri/$FILECAP?t=info``
* deep-check/deep-size/deep-stats/manifest (for directories)
* replace-conents form (for mutable files)
+
Creating a Directory
--------------------
the "PUT /uri/$FILECAP" form, but uses a POST for the benefit of HTML forms
in a web browser.
+
Attaching An Existing File Or Directory (by URI)
------------------------------------------------
This accepts the same replace= argument as POST t=upload.
-Deleting A Child
-----------------
+
+Unlinking A Child
+-----------------
``POST /uri/$DIRCAP/[SUBDIRS../]?t=delete&name=CHILDNAME``
+``POST /uri/$DIRCAP/[SUBDIRS../]?t=unlink&name=CHILDNAME``
+
This instructs the node to remove a child object (file or subdirectory) from
the given directory, which must be mutable. Note that the entire subtree is
unlinked from the parent. Unlike deleting a subdirectory in a UNIX local
If the object is an immutable file, this will return the same value as
t=uri.
+
Debugging and Testing Features
------------------------------
was untraversable, since the manifest entry is emitted to the HTTP response
body before the child is traversed.
+
Other Useful Pages
==================
prettier front-end to the rest of the Tahoe web-API.
-Safety and security issues -- names vs. URIs
+Safety and Security Issues -- Names vs. URIs
============================================
Summary: use explicit file- and dir- caps whenever possible, to reduce the
directory) is found by following this name (or sequence of names) when my
request reaches the server". Use URIs if you want "this particular object".
+
Concurrency Issues
==================