[Mod_gzip] "mod_gzip_send_vary=Yes" disables caching on IE? (1.3.26.1a)

[mod_gzip@lists.over.net]

Hi Slava,


>> since it's not really a Proxy Cache ). It is simply doing what
>> even SQUID has done with regards to "Vary:" up until
>> just 7 weeks ago when SQUID 2.5 was released. SQUID
>> would just refuse to ever cache anything that had a "Vary:"
>> header.
> Disagree. When for example you provide the User-Agent specific
> JavaScript, or CSS, you would consider to place "Vary: User-Agent"
> in your response even with no compression at all.

I consider even trying to do such a thing a very bad idea.

Actually, you have no possibility to rely upon anything
that allows you a server-side detection of a HTTP client
so precisely that you can send an according JavaScript or
CSS file for it.

On the other hand, JavaScript allows you to check the avai-
lability of methods very specifically.
What you have to do is implement a browser switch in your
JavaScript code and then run the code path suitable for the
browser that you detected. You don't have to duplicate your
JavaScript code - you have to make it flexible enough that
it will run in each and every browser to a certain degree.

Same applies to CSS, in a way.
You don't have instructions there that allow you to write
conditional code - but it is known that the main browsers
don't understand specific ways of activating CSS code at
all. Therefore, you can activate simple CSS code for, say:
Netscape 4, overrule this by more clever CSS code for, say:
M$IE 5 and overrule this by very clever CSS code for, say:
Mozilla.

There is no HTTP involved in this area at all, and I say
it rather shouldn't be.

Regards, Michael