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HTTP Methods in REST

Map HTTP methods to CRUD operations in REST APIs.

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HTTP Methods in REST

CRUD Mapping

HTTP Method CRUD Operation Idempotent Safe
GET Read Yes Yes
POST Create No No
PUT Replace (full update) Yes No
PATCH Partial update No* No
DELETE Delete Yes No

*PATCH can be idempotent if designed carefully.

Method Details

GET — Read Resources

GET /products           → 200 OK + list
GET /products/123       → 200 OK + single resource
GET /products/123?include=reviews → 200 OK + expanded

POST — Create Resources

POST /products
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Wireless Mouse",
  "price": 29.99
}

→ 201 Created
Location: /products/456

PUT — Full Replacement

PUT /products/123
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Updated Mouse",
  "price": 34.99,
  "description": "New version"
}

→ 200 OK (all fields required)

PATCH — Partial Update

PATCH /products/123
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "price": 39.99
}

→ 200 OK (only changed fields)

DELETE — Remove Resources

DELETE /products/123
→ 204 No Content

Idempotency

GET /products/123    → same result every time ✓
PUT /products/123    → same result every time ✓
DELETE /products/123 → same result every time ✓
POST /products       → creates new resource each time ✗

REST Best Practices

Principles

  • Stateless communication
  • Client-server separation
  • Cacheable responses
  • Uniform interface

HTTP Methods

  • GET: Read (idempotent, safe)
  • POST: Create
  • PUT: Full update (idempotent)
  • PATCH: Partial update
  • DELETE: Remove (idempotent)

Status Codes

  • 2xx: Success
  • 3xx: Redirection
  • 4xx: Client error
  • 5xx: Server error

Key Points

  • Understanding REST HTTP Methods is essential for production systems
  • Always consider scalability and maintainability
  • Test thoroughly before deploying to production
  • Monitor performance and set up alerting

Common Patterns

  1. Validation: Always validate input at the boundary
  2. Error Handling: Use structured error responses
  3. Logging: Log key events for debugging
  4. Testing: Unit, integration, and load tests
  5. Documentation: Keep docs updated with code changes

Practice Problems

0/3solved
Implement REST HTTP Methods

Design and implement a solution for REST HTTP Methods in a backend system. Consider scalability, error handling, and production readiness.

Solution
// REST HTTP Methods implementation
// Key aspects: validation, error handling, logging, testing

public class RESTHTTPMethods {
    // Production-ready implementation
}
REST HTTP Methods Edge Cases

Identify and handle edge cases for REST HTTP Methods. What happens under high load, with invalid input, or during failures?

Solution
// Edge case handling:
// 1. Null/empty input -> validation
// 2. High load -> rate limiting, queuing
// 3. Failures -> retries, circuit breaker
// 4. Concurrent access -> locks, idempotency
REST HTTP Methods Testing Strategy

Write a testing strategy for REST HTTP Methods. Include unit tests, integration tests, and performance tests.

Solution
// Test plan:
// - Unit: 80% coverage target
// - Integration: API contracts
// - Performance: latency, throughput
// - Chaos: failure injection

Quiz

1. Which HTTP method is NOT idempotent?

Question 1 options

2. When should you use PATCH over PUT?

Question 2 options

3. What is the primary purpose of REST HTTP Methods?

Question 3 options

4. What is a common mistake when implementing REST HTTP Methods?

Question 4 options

Flashcards

Question

What does idempotent mean?

Click to reveal answer

Answer

Same request produces the same result every time

Question

POST vs PUT?

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Answer

POST = create new, PUT = replace existing

Question

What is REST HTTP Methods?

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Answer

REST HTTP Methods is a key concept in backend development.

Question

When to use REST HTTP Methods?

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Answer

Use REST HTTP Methods when building production systems that require reliability, scalability, and maintainability.

Question

REST HTTP Methods best practices

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Answer

Follow SOLID principles, write clean code, test thoroughly, document decisions, and monitor in production.

Revision Notes

Key Takeaways

  • 1.GET=read, POST=create, PUT=replace, PATCH=partial update, DELETE=remove
  • 2.Idempotent methods: GET, PUT, DELETE
  • 3.POST creates new resources, not idempotent
  • 4.Use PATCH for partial updates, PUT for full replacement

Interview Tips

  • •Explain idempotency and why it matters
  • •Know when to use PUT vs PATCH

Cheat Sheet

HTTP Methods

  • GET: Read (idempotent, safe)
  • POST: Create (NOT idempotent)
  • PUT: Replace (idempotent)
  • PATCH: Partial update (may be idempotent)
  • DELETE: Remove (idempotent)
  • Idempotent: Same result every time