Python HTTPSConnection/HTTPResponse Problem

[brueckd at tbye.com]

On 22 Sep 2002, Edward Muller wrote:

> I *think* I found the problem. Using m2Crypto and urllib I was able do
> process the transaction through Authorize.net's ADC Direct Response
> mechanism and it *looks* like their server replied first with a ..
> 
> HTTP/1.1 100 Continue
> 
> and then with a ...
> 
> HTTP/1.1 200 OK
> 
> I don't know if this is valid or not (and I sent the same info to
> Authorize.net).

Yes, the 100 Continue is valid. It exists so that a client can get an
early indication as to whether or not the server will accept the client's 
request message that includes a (possibly large) request body (e.g. a 
large POST request). 

As with so many other features of HTTP, the use of the 100 code is
ambiguous for backwards compatibility reasons and therefore unnecessarily
complex. ;-) To handle it, your receiving code should generally _not_ 
expect to receive a 100 Continue, and should simply ignore it if it 
comes (turn around and read the response headers again).

-Dave