• To: "John Cowan" <jcowan@r...>,<xml-dev@l...>
• Subject: Re: [MAILER-DAEMON@r...: Returned mail: Host unknown (Name server: lists.org.xml: host not found)]
• From: "Bob Foster" <bob@o...>
• Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 20:21:36 -0500
• References: <20030731170625.GZ9926@s...>

> But it's not repeatable.  Eventually, all the Coke cans in the world are
on
> your desk, and then further repetitions will not avail.  True idempotent
> requests can be repeated indefinitely and produce the same effects each
time.
> Causing a physical movement is the very paradigm of a side effect.

A function is idempotent if repeated applications have the same effect as
one. [FOLDOC] A relevant example is an initialization routine that performs
its side effects only once, no matter how many times it is called.

As long as no further cans of Coke drop no matter how many times the GET is
invoked, the GET is idempotent.

Bob Foster

• References:
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    • From: John Cowan <jcowan@r...>

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