[OAI-implementers] Error reporting from OAI implementations

[Tim Brody]

> As a programmer for Adlib Information Systems (the Netherlands), I am
> implementing the OAI protocol for our database. I have a question about the
> error reporting. When an OAI-call is done, with for instance the wrong
> parameters (e.g. metadataPrefix is missing), how do I correctly report the
> error. Is there a standard way for doing this? And if so, what way? :)

Hi,

You would probably be interested in the section "status-codes" under "HTTP
Response Format" in the OAI 1.0 spec.

Basically if you can't give a response due to bad verb or missing/invalid
variables you should generate an HTTP response with status-code 400. The
HTTP response should be human-readable, much like the HTTP 404 error.

In addition status codes 302 and 503 can be used for re-direction and
temporary unavailability respectively.

All the best,
Tim Brody