Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the feasibility of searching for content within .zip files hosted on the internet without downloading and extracting them. Participants explore potential methods and limitations related to this task, focusing on technical aspects of file retrieval and search capabilities.
Discussion Character
- Technical explanation
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant inquires about the possibility of searching .zip files online without downloading them, expressing a desire to find specific content within .doc files contained in those archives.
- Another participant suggests that using HTTP version 1.1 allows for byte serving, which could potentially help in searching, but questions whether any search engines currently support this functionality.
- A different participant argues that a search bot would need to retrieve files to local storage before searching, regardless of whether the files are compressed, indicating a fundamental limitation in searching directly on web servers.
- There is mention of the possibility of writing custom code to search within .zip files if the files are fetched, but this requires local access to the files.
- Concerns are raised about the impracticality of searching through .zip files that contain various file types without first downloading them.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express differing views on the capabilities of search engines and the technical limitations of searching within compressed files directly on web servers. No consensus is reached regarding a viable method for achieving the desired search functionality.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include the requirement for files to be downloaded before they can be searched, and the uncertainty regarding the capabilities of existing search engines to handle such tasks.