Transient entities in JSON

docs/odata-json-format/odata-json-format.html

@@ -582,9 +582,9 @@ <h3 id="458-control-information-id-odataid"><a name="ControlInformationidodataid
 <li>percent-encoding normalization as defined in section 6 of <a href="#rfc3986">RFC3986</a>.</li>
 </ul>
 <p>Note that the entity-id MUST be invariant across languages, so if key values are language dependent then the <code>id</code> MUST be included if it does not match convention for the localized key values. If the <code>id</code> is represented, it MAY be a <a href="#RelativeURLs">relative URL</a>.</p>
-<p>If the entity is transient (i.e. cannot be read or updated), the <code>id</code> control information MUST appear in OData 4.0 payloads and have the <code>null</code> value. In 4.01 payloads transient entities need not have the <code>id</code> control information, and 4.01 clients MUST treat entities with neither <code>id</code> control information nor a full set of key properties as transient entities.</p>
+<p>If the entity is transient (i.e. cannot be read or updated), the <code>id</code> control information MUST appear in OData 4.0 payloads and have the <code>null</code> value. In 4.01 payloads transient entities need not have the <code>id</code> control information, and 4.01 clients MUST treat entities with neither <code>id</code> control information nor a full set of key properties as transient entities. Services MAY use a string value following the pattern <code>odata:transient:{some-generated-identifier-unique-within-the-response}</code> instead of <code>null</code>, for example if they need to solve circular dependencies between transient entities by injecting an entity reference.</p>
+<p>Entities with <code>id</code> equal to <code>null</code> cannot be updated or compared to other entities. If <a href="#metadataminimalodatametadataminimal"><code>metadata=minimal</code></a> is specified and the <code>id</code> is not present in the entity, then the canonical URL MUST be used as the entity-id.</p>
 <p>The <code>id</code> control information MUST NOT appear for a collection. Its meaning in this context is reserved for future versions of this specification.</p>
-<p>Entities with <code>id</code> equal to <code>null</code> cannot be compared to other entities, reread, or updated. If <a href="#metadataminimalodatametadataminimal"><code>metadata=minimal</code></a> is specified and the <code>id</code> is not present in the entity, then the canonical URL MUST be used as the entity-id.</p>
 <h3 id="459-control-information-editlink-and-readlink-odataeditlink-and-odatareadlink"><a name="ControlInformationeditLinkandreadLinkodataeditLinkandodatareadLink" href="#ControlInformationeditLinkandreadLinkodataeditLinkandodatareadLink">4.5.9 Control Information: <code>editLink</code> and <code>readLink</code> (<code>odata.editLink</code> and <code>odata.readLink</code>)</a></h3>
 <p>The <code>editLink</code> control information contains the edit URL of the entity; see <a href="#ODataProtocol">OData-Protocol</a>.</p>
 <p>The <code>readLink</code> control information contains the read URL of the entity or collection; see <a href="#ODataProtocol">OData-Protocol</a>.</p>

docs/odata-json-format/odata-json-format.md

@@ -964,17 +964,18 @@ and have the `null` value. In 4.01 payloads transient
 entities need not have the `id` control information, and 4.01
 clients MUST treat entities with neither `id` control
 information nor a full set of key properties as transient entities.
-
-The `id` control information MUST NOT appear for a
-collection. Its meaning in this context is reserved for future versions
-of this specification.
+Services MAY use a string value following the pattern `odata:transient:{some-generated-identifier-unique-within-the-response}` instead of `null`, for example if they  need to solve circular dependencies between transient entities by injecting an entity reference.
 
 Entities with `id` equal to `null` cannot be
-compared to other entities, reread, or updated. If
-[`metadata=minimal`](#metadataminimalodatametadataminimal)
+updated or compared to other entities.
+If [`metadata=minimal`](#metadataminimalodatametadataminimal)
 is specified and the `id` is not present in the entity, then
 the canonical URL MUST be used as the entity-id.
 
+The `id` control information MUST NOT appear for a
+collection. Its meaning in this context is reserved for future versions
+of this specification.
+
 ### <a name="ControlInformationeditLinkandreadLinkodataeditLinkandodatareadLink" href="#ControlInformationeditLinkandreadLinkodataeditLinkandodatareadLink">4.5.9 Control Information: `editLink` and `readLink` (`odata.editLink` and `odata.readLink`)</a>
 
 The `editLink` control information contains

odata-json-format/4 Common Characteristics.md

@@ -423,17 +423,18 @@ and have the `null` value. In 4.01 payloads transient
 entities need not have the `id` control information, and 4.01
 clients MUST treat entities with neither `id` control
 information nor a full set of key properties as transient entities.
-
-The `id` control information MUST NOT appear for a
-collection. Its meaning in this context is reserved for future versions
-of this specification.
+Services MAY use a string value following the pattern `odata:transient:{some-generated-identifier-unique-within-the-response}` instead of `null`, for example if they  need to solve circular dependencies between transient entities by injecting an entity reference.
 
 Entities with `id` equal to `null` cannot be
-compared to other entities, reread, or updated. If
-[`metadata=minimal`](#metadataminimalodatametadataminimal)
+updated or compared to other entities.
+If [`metadata=minimal`](#metadataminimalodatametadataminimal)
 is specified and the `id` is not present in the entity, then
 the canonical URL MUST be used as the entity-id.
 
+The `id` control information MUST NOT appear for a
+collection. Its meaning in this context is reserved for future versions
+of this specification.
+
 ### ##subsubsec Control Information: `editLink` and `readLink` (`odata.editLink` and `odata.readLink`)
 
 The `editLink` control information contains