For example, after the creation of some simple, standardized "file listing" XML format, one could tell the remote server "I know text/xml-filelist", and instead of returning some html listing of the files in a directory, it would return the listing in this special format, so that the browser or whatever can display it in a nice column view and you can sort it and select the files just like local folders. you'd also get index.xml, instead of index.html, etc. Someday, this sort of thing should be the default, but, until then...
-- ironfroggy, Jan 18 2004

HTTP Accept header http://www.w3.org/P.../rfc2616-sec14.html
[krelnik, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

This is precisely what the "Accept" header type is for in the HTTP specification. The client lists what MIME data types it is prepared to accept, and the server can then provide the requested data in whichever of the listed types it feels is most appropriate. See link.
-- krelnik, Jan 18 2004



random, halfbakery