HTTP Methods and RESTful APIs

It really is a peanut butter and jelly moment when we examine the HTTP methods (or verbs) and their compatibility with RESTful API calls. This article will explain this for you in detail.

The HTTP verbs (also known as methods) are compatible with REST (Representational State Transfer) API calls because they align with the principles of RESTful architecture and provide a standardized way to interact with resources over the web.

Here’s an explanation of how the main HTTP verbs map to REST API operations:

1. GET: The GET method is used to retrieve a representation of a resource or a collection of resources. In RESTful APIs, GET requests are typically used for reading or retrieving data. For example, you can use GET to retrieve a specific user’s information or to fetch a list of products.
2. POST: The POST method is used to submit data to the server to create a new resource. It is commonly used for creating or adding new data to the API. For instance, you can use POST to create a new user or to add a new item to a shopping cart.
3. PUT: The PUT method is used to update or replace an existing resource with new data. It sends the entire representation of the resource to the server. PUT requests are often used for updating existing records. For example, you can use PUT to update a user’s details or to modify a specific item’s information.
4. PATCH: The PATCH method is similar to PUT, but it is used for making partial updates to a resource instead of sending the entire representation. It allows you to modify specific fields or properties of a resource. PATCH requests are useful when you only need to update specific attributes of a resource without sending unnecessary data.
5. DELETE: The DELETE method is used to remove a resource from the server. It instructs the server to delete the specified resource. DELETE requests are commonly used to remove user accounts, delete files, or delete entries from a database.

These HTTP verbs align with the core principles of REST, which emphasizes the use of uniform interfaces, stateless communication, and resource-based interactions.

By using the appropriate HTTP verb, RESTful APIs provide a consistent and standardized way to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on resources over the web.