Activity 29: HTTP Methods

HTTP Methods in RESTful APIs

RESTful APIs rely on HTTP methods to perform actions on resources. Each method corresponds to a specific type of operation. Below is an overview of the most commonly used methods:

1. GET

• Purpose: Retrieve data from a server.

• Characteristics:

  • Does not modify server data (read-only).

  • Can include query parameters to filter or search resources.

  • Responses are typically cached unless specified otherwise.

Example:

• URL: GET /api/products

• Use Case: Retrieve a list of all products.

[
  { "id": 1, "name": "Laptop", "price": 1200 },
  { "id": 2, "name": "Mouse", "price": 25 }
]

• URL: GET /api/products/1

• Use Case: Fetch details of the product with ID 1.

• When to Use:

  • Fetching a list of resources (e.g., users, products, posts).

  • Retrieving detailed information about a specific resource.

2. POST

• Purpose: Send data to the server to create a new resource.

• Characteristics:

  • The request body contains the data for the resource to be created.

  • Returns 201 Created on success, often with a link to the newly created resource.

• Example:

  • URL: POST /api/products

  • Request Body:

{ "name": "Keyboard", "price": 50 }

• Response:

{ "id": 3, "name": "Keyboard", "price": 50 }

• When to Use:

  • Creating a new user, product, or post in a database.

  • Sending form data, such as registration forms.

3. PUT

   • Purpose: Update an existing resource or create one if it doesn't exist.

   • Characteristics:

     • Typically replaces the entire resource with the data provided.

     • If the resource does not exist, it may create a new one (idempotent behavior).

   • Example:

     • URL: PUT /api/products/1

     • Request Body:

    { "name": "Laptop", "price": 1100 }

• Response:

{ "id": 1, "name": "Laptop", "price": 1100 }

• When to Use:

  • Replacing or updating a resource entirely.

  • Example: Updating a product’s details such as price or description.

4. DELETE

   • Purpose: Remove a resource from the server.

   • Characteristics:

     • Does not typically return a response body (status code 204 No Content).

     • Should only remove the specified resource.

   • Example:

     • URL: DELETE /api/products/1

     • Use Case: Delete the product with ID 1.

     • Response:

HTTP/1.1 204 No Content

• When to Use:

  • Removing a resource permanently from the server.

  • Example: Deleting a user account, removing a blog post.

5. PATCH

   • Purpose: Apply partial updates to a resource.

   • Characteristics:

     • Unlike PUT, it does not require sending the entire resource data.

     • Only the fields to be updated are sent in the request.

   • Example:

     • URL: PATCH /api/products/1

     • Request Body:

         jsonCopy code{ "price": 1150 }
       

     • Response:

         jsonCopy code{ "id": 1, "name": "Laptop", "price": 1150 }
       

• When to Use:

  • Making minor changes to a resource without modifying all its fields.

  • Example: Updating a single field like the price of a product.

Best Practices for Using HTTP Methods

1. Use the Right Method for the Action:

   • Follow RESTful conventions (e.g., use GET for fetching data, not POST).

2. Status Codes:

   • Return appropriate HTTP status codes (200, 201, 404, etc.).

3. Secure the API:

   • Use HTTPS and secure tokens for sensitive operations like POST, PUT, and DELETE.

4. Pagination:

   • Use query parameters for GET requests to handle large datasets (?page=1&limit=10).

5. Error Handling:

   • Provide meaningful error messages for bad requests or unauthorized access.

6. Validation:

   • Validate data for POST and PUT requests to prevent malformed data entry.

REFERENCES:

https://pierek.com/blog/understanding-rest-api-methods-get-post-patch-put-and-delete-with-express-js-typescript-examples

https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/http-request-methods-explained/