Hi,
I am currently using CouchDB 1.2.0 on a Windows 7 machine. I have a
database with several different view functions, and I am trying to
define a list function that only makes sense when combined with _some_
of the views. Under the (not unrealistic) assumption that anything that
a user *can* do, sooner or later, someone *will* do, I'd like the list
function to check that the view it is being called with actually makes
sense. If not, then I want to use the HTTP response to send an error
message, with a proper error code.
My first (failed) attempt looked something like this:
function(header, request) {
var row = getRow();
if (row.hasRequiredField) {
start({"headers": "Content-Type": "text/html"});
// do what you need to do to 'send' this and all other rows
} else {
start({"code" 400, "headers": {"Content-Type": "text/html"}});
send("Helpful error message explaining the problem.");
}
This fails because the first call to "getRow" starts writing the HTTP
response and sets the Content-Type to "application/json". Thus the
later "start" calls fail to set the Content-Type or the response code.
The only alternative I can think of at this point is to peek into the
"request" argument to see if I can tell if the request is valid. But I
think the only information I can get that might be relevant is the name
of the view (by parsing the path element), and that causes difficulties
with maintaining the application over time. I must either maintain a
"white list" of known acceptable views or a "black list" of known
unacceptable views. (And, applying the user principle above to the
developer/maintainer, I know that I will forget to update this list at
some point in time.)
I found a StackOverflow question about this issue from September 2011
(http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7595662/couchdb-list-api-cant-seem-to-return-plain-text),
but since the issue still exists, I assume that change either never got
requested in JIRA or never got implemented.
Is there some other way to accomplish what I want? Or do I have to give
up on sending proper error codes and just set the Content-Type globally
before calling getRow? Or should I put the issue into JIRA and hope
someone fixes it?
Thanks,
Kevin
