How do you use HTTP methods to implement CRUD operations in your REST API?

When you want to get and retrieve data from REST API resource, you should use GET method. For example: You want to retrieve a list of employees for an organisation resource,you can use GET request to access the endpoint. Response can be in any format such as Json or XML. You can also use query parameters to filter the data or to sort etc. You can use GET request multiple times as it does not change the state of a resource.

Using HTTP methods to implement CRUD is the first step in learning to use REST API. Each method can be performed with REST API and each has a different operation. GET - to read data from DB POST - to create data in DB PUT - to update data in DB PATCH - to update partial data in DB DELETE - to delete data in DB Each method has specifications to perform a specific operations.

We have another API method called POST method using which you can create/add new data on RestAPI resource. E.g: You want to create a new employee resource in an existing pool of resources. You will use POST request and hit the endpoint/employees with the required data in the request body. Point to remember: when you create or add new data to a RedtAPI resource, you need to specify the contents in request body properly. Your request should contain content-type header which specify the format of the data such as Json or xml. If your POST request is correctly designed with valid body request, you would get response which contains status code as 201 created. Point to remember:POST request can also change the state of a resource.

The POST method is employed for creating new resources on the server. It allows clients to submit data to be processed to a specified resource. Challenges associated with the POST method include the need for robust validation mechanisms to ensure the integrity of incoming data. Security concerns, such as preventing unauthorized access or malicious data submissions, also need to be addressed through authentication and validation measures.

The POST method is used to send data to a server to create a new resource. In the context of CRUD operations in REST APIs: Create: It is used for the "Create" operation. You send a POST request with the data for the new resource in the request body, and the server creates the resource and assigns it a unique identifier, which is often returned in the response.

One more point to add, Put method responses cannot be cached. Following are 3 use cases of PUT 1. Updating user profile data 2. Updating content of a blog 3. Updating weather data for a city

Used for updating existing resources, the PUT method poses challenges related to data consistency and integrity. When using PUT to modify a resource, the client sends the entire updated resource to the server. However, this can be inefficient for large datasets, and care must be taken to avoid unintentional overwrites or partial updates. Implementing versioning or ETags can help mitigate these challenges by ensuring that updates are applied to the correct resource version.

The PATCH method is designed for making partial updates to a resource. While it allows for more efficient data transmission compared to PUT, challenges arise in ensuring that partial updates are applied correctly and do not introduce inconsistencies. Proper handling of conflicts and synchronization mechanisms become crucial to maintain data accuracy when multiple clients attempt to modify the same resource concurrently.

A Patch is a partial update and it does not require the whole resource to make an up. You can update a single value pair in a resource entity for example if you have an entity users with different key ID like 1,2,3 then the resources contain email, first name and last name. If you want to update the email you only need users/1 {"email" : "new email address" } versus with a put you will have to supply all the information in the the resource entity like this users/1 {"email" : "new email address", "first name" :"nkina", "last name" : "ramonyai"}

DELETE method is used to delete the requested resource on the server. Few other challenges we face when used this in the real time : User experience Users may accidentally delete resources and expect an easy way to undo their actions. To mitigate this, Implement confirmation dialogs, undo features, or a trash bin mechanism where deleted resources can be restored within a certain period. Another challenge is to to keep a record of deleted resources for legal and compliance reasons. To mitigate this , Implementing logging and audit trails to record delete operations, including who deleted the resource and when would help.

The DELETE method is used to request the removal of a resource on the server. Challenges related to data integrity and authorization arise, as improper use of this method can lead to unintentional data loss. Implementing access controls and confirmation mechanisms can help mitigate these risks. Additionally, care must be taken to handle cascading deletions appropriately to avoid unintentional side effects on related resources.

In my experience apart from the Crud operations two more methods which are really useful: 1. Options 2. Head In crisp, OPTIONS tells you things such as "What methods are allowed for this resource". HEAD gets the HTTP header you would get if you made a GET request, but without the body.

In designing a REST API with CRUD operations, additional considerations include proper documentation to guide users on the correct usage of each method. Error handling and providing meaningful responses for different scenarios also contribute to a more user-friendly API. Additionally, implementing rate limiting and pagination mechanisms helps manage the load on the server and enhances the overall performance and scalability of the API. Regular monitoring and updates to address evolving security threats and industry best practices are essential for maintaining a secure and reliable REST API.

There are additional http methods that enhance the flexibility and robustness of a RESTful API by providing more control over interactions and supporting a wider range of use cases. Connect : Establishes a tunnel to the server identified by the target resource. It is primarily used for proxy servers that can dynamically switch to being a tunnel (e.g., for SSL/TLS). Trace : Performs a message loop-back test along the path to the target resource, primarily for debugging purposes. It echoes back the received request so that the client can see what changes or additions have been made by intermediate servers.

The main is keeping consistency in using the HTTP methods. E.g., if I use DELETE /resources/{id} to deactivate the resource, I should not combine it with POST /resources/{id}/close (unless there is a specific reason for that).