QUERY: Explain relation to SEARCH etc (closes #3337) (#3338)

Author: reschke

draft-ietf-httpbis-safe-method-w-body.xml

@@ -683,6 +683,9 @@ Accept-Query: "application/jsonpath", application/sql;charset="UTF-8"</artwork>
         <author><organization>WHATWG</organization></author>
       </front>
     </reference>
+    <xi:include href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.3253.xml"/>
+    <xi:include href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.4918.xml"/>
+    <xi:include href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.5323.xml"/>
     <xi:include href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.6838.xml"/>
     <xi:include href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.8259.xml"/>
     <xi:include href="https://www.rfc-editor.org/refs/bibxml/reference.RFC.9535.xml"/>
@@ -1355,6 +1358,29 @@ Last-Modified: Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:10:01 GMT
     </section>
 </section>
 
+<section title="Selection of the Method Name 'QUERY'" anchor="selection.method.name">
+<t>
+  The HTTP Method Registry (<eref target="http://www.iana.org/assignments/http-methods"/>)
+  already contains three other methods with the properties "safe" and "idempotent":
+  "PROPFIND" (<xref target="RFC4918"/>), REPORT" (<xref target="RFC3253"/>), and
+  "SEARCH" (<xref target="RFC5323"/>).
+</t>
+<t>
+  It would have been possible to re-use any of these, updating it in a way that it matches
+  what this specification defines as the new method "QUERY". Indeed, the early stages
+  of this specification used "SEARCH".
+</t>
+<t>
+  The method name "QUERY" ultimately was chosen because:
+</t>
+<ul>
+  <li>The alternatives use a generic media type for the request content ("application/xml"); the
+  semantics of the request depends solely on the request content.</li>
+  <li>Furthermore, they all originate from the WebDAV activity, about which many have mixed feelings.</li>
+  <li>"QUERY" captures the relation with the URI's query component well.</li>
+</ul>
+</section>
+
 <section title="Change Log" anchor="change.log" removeInRFC="true">
 <section title="Since draft-ietf-httpbis-safe-method-w-body-00" anchor="changes.since.00">
 <ul>
@@ -1473,6 +1499,7 @@ Last-Modified: Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:10:01 GMT
   <li>URI reference is normative (<eref target="https://github.com/httpwg/http-extensions/issues/3331"/>)</li>
   <li>inconsistency between Sections 2.4 and 4 wrt URI assignments (<eref target="https://github.com/httpwg/http-extensions/issues/3332"/>)</li>
   <li>IESG review nits (<eref target="https://github.com/httpwg/http-extensions/issues/3333"/>)</li>
+  <li>Explain relation to SEARCH etc (<eref target="https://github.com/httpwg/http-extensions/issues/3337"/>)</li>
 </ul>
 </section>
 </section>