The web application layer is where the semantics and application-specific logic are performed. The HTTP-NG working group shied away from the temptation to extend the HTTP application features, focusing instead on formal infrastructure.

The web application layer describes a system for providing application-specific services. These services are not monolithic; different APIs may be available for different applications. For example, the web application for HTTP/1.1 would constitute a different application from WebDAV, though they may share some common parts. The HTTP-NG architecture allows multiple applications to coexist at this level, sharing underlying facilities, and provides a mechanism for adding new applications.

The philosophy of the web application layer is to provide equivalent functionality for HTTP/1.1 and extension interfaces, while recasting them into a framework of extensible distributed objects. You can read more about the web application layer interfaces at http://www.w3.org/Protocols/HTTP-NG/1998/08/draft-larner-nginterfaces-00.txt.

 

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)