[COUCHDB-973] Return 410 when GETing a previously deleted document (rather than 404)

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Trivial
• Resolution: Abandoned
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Benjamin Young
• Created: 01/Dec/10 16:41
• Updated: 29/Oct/11 19:14
• Resolved: 29/Oct/11 19:14

Description

When you GET a nonexistent doc you get (as you should) a 404 Not Found error. However, if you GET a document that has previously existed you also get the 404 response. It would be more informative (IMO) for the 410 Gone response code to be used. 410 Gone's intention is for exactly this use case, and it could have some value to CouchDB developers who need to know the document did exist.

CouchDB is already half way there as in the body of the 404 response it does state that the document did exist (at least prior to compaction), so outputing a 410 (again, prior to compaction) would hopefully be a trivial patch.