put vs post vs patch with code examples

HTTP methods, such as PUT, POST, and PATCH, are used to indicate the desired action to be performed on a resource in a RESTful API. Each method has a specific meaning and use case, and it's important to understand the differences between them in order to use them correctly.

PUT

The PUT method is used to update an existing resource. It is typically used to replace the entire resource, rather than to make partial updates. When a client sends a PUT request, the server is expected to update the resource and return a 200 (OK) or 204 (No Content) response.

Here is an example of a PUT request using the popular Python library requests:

import requests

url = "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1"
data = {"title": "New Title", "body": "New Body", "userId": 1}
response = requests.put(url, json=data)
print(response.status_code)

In this example, we are sending a PUT request to an endpoint that represents a specific post, and we are replacing the existing post with a new one.

POST

The POST method is used to create a new resource. It is typically used to create a new resource and return the URI of the newly created resource. When a client sends a POST request, the server is expected to create a new resource and return a 201 (Created) or 202 (Accepted) response.

Here is an example of a POST request using the popular Python library requests:

import requests

url = "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts"
data = {"title": "New Title", "body": "New Body", "userId": 1}
response = requests.post(url, json=data)
print(response.status_code)

In this example, we are sending a POST request to an endpoint that represents a collection of posts, and we are creating a new post in the collection.

PATCH

The PATCH method is used to make partial updates to a resource. Unlike PUT, it does not expect to replace the entire resource, but rather to make changes to specific fields. When a client sends a PATCH request, the server is expected to make the specified changes and return a 200 (OK) or 204 (No Content) response.

Here is an example of a PATCH request using the popular Python library requests:

import requests

url = "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1"
data = {"title": "New Title"}
response = requests.patch(url, json=data)
print(response.status_code)

In this example, we are sending a PATCH request to an endpoint that represents a specific post, and we are updating only the title of the post.

In conclusion, PUT, POST, and PATCH are all HTTP methods that are used to interact with resources in a RESTful API, but they have different meanings and use cases. PUT is used to update an existing resource, POST is used to create a new resource, and PATCH is used to make partial updates to a resource. It's important to understand these differences and use the appropriate method for the task at hand.

When working with RESTful APIs, it's important to understand the concept of resource representation. A resource representation is the way that a resource is represented in a format that can be understood by both the client and the server. The most common format for resource representation is JSON, but other formats such as XML and YAML can also be used.

Another important concept when working with RESTful APIs is statelessness. RESTful APIs are stateless, which means that the server does not keep track of the state of the client between requests. This means that the client must include all the information necessary to complete a request in the request itself. This can be done using headers, query parameters, and request bodies.

Another important aspect of RESTful APIs is the use of HTTP status codes. HTTP status codes are used to indicate the outcome of a request. Some common status codes include 200 (OK) for a successful request, 201 (Created) for a successfully created resource, 204 (No Content) for a successful request with no additional information to return, 400 (Bad Request) for an invalid request, and 404 (Not Found) for a request for a non-existent resource.

It is also important to consider the security of RESTful APIs. Because RESTful APIs are typically accessible over the internet, they can be vulnerable to attacks such as SQL injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). To protect against these types of attacks, it's important to use proper input validation and to use security features such as authentication and authorization.

Additionally, it is common to use versioning for RESTful APIs. It is a good practice to version the API so that if any breaking changes are made, the older version can still be maintained for the clients that are using it. It is also a good practice to document the API with its endpoints, input and output and expected behaviour. Swagger and OpenAPI specification are popular choices for documenting API.

In summary, when working with RESTful APIs, it's important to understand concepts such as resource representation, statelessness, HTTP status codes, and security. Additionally, it is important to consider versioning, documentation and testing of API. By understanding and following these best practices, you can build robust, secure, and easy-to-use RESTful APIs.

Popular questions

1. What is the main difference between the PUT and POST methods in a RESTful API?
   The main difference between the PUT and POST methods is that PUT is used to update an existing resource, while POST is used to create a new resource.

2. Can PUT be used to make partial updates to a resource?
   No, PUT is typically used to replace the entire resource, rather than to make partial updates. To make partial updates to a resource, you should use the PATCH method.

3. What HTTP status code should the server return after a successful PUT request?
   After a successful PUT request, the server should return a 200 (OK) or 204 (No Content) status code.

4. When sending a POST request to create a new resource, what HTTP status code should the server return?
   When sending a POST request to create a new resource, the server should return a 201 (Created) or 202 (Accepted) status code.

5. What is the difference between PUT and PATCH method in REST API?
   The main difference between PUT and PATCH is that PUT is used to replace an entire resource, while PATCH is used to make partial updates to a resource. PUT requires the entire resource to be sent in the request, while PATCH only requires the fields that are being updated to be sent.

Tag

HTTP-Methods