HTTP Methods

RESTful APIs use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE) to perform actions on resources:

GET: Retrieves a representation of a resource (e.g., get user information).
POST: Creates a new resource (e.g., add a new product to a shopping cart).
PUT: Updates an existing resource (e.g., modify user profile information).
PATCH: Makes partial updates to a resource (e.g., change a user’s password).
DELETE: Deletes a resource (e.g., remove an item from a list).

JavaScript

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = 3000;

// Middleware to parse JSON bodies
app.use(express.json());

// GET: Retrieves a representation of a resource from the server
app.get('/resource', (req, res) => {
    // Here you would retrieve and return the resource
    res.send('GET request to /resource');
});

// POST: Sending resource to the server
app.post('/resource', (req, res) => {
    // Here you would process the resource sent in the request body
    console.log('Received resource:', req.body);
    res.send('POST request to /resource');
});

// PUT: To replace or update an entire resource or replace it with a new representation
app.put('/resource/:id', (req, res) => {
    // Here you would update the resource with the specified ID
    console.log('Updated resource with ID', req.params.id);
    res.send('PUT request to /resource/:id');
});

// PATCH: To make partial updates to a resource
app.patch('/resource/:id', (req, res) => {
    // Here you would apply partial updates to the resource with the specified ID
    console.log('Patched resource with ID', req.params.id);
    res.send('PATCH request to /resource/:id');
});

// DELETE: Deletes a resource
app.delete('/resource/:id', (req, res) => {
    // Here you would delete the resource with the specified ID
    console.log('Deleted resource with ID', req.params.id);
    res.send('DELETE request to /resource/:id');
});

// Start the server
app.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Server running on http://localhost:${port}`);
});

Output:

GET /resource: Retrieves a representation of a resource.
POST /resource: Sends a resource to the server.
PUT /resource/:id: Replaces or updates an entire resource.
PATCH /resource/:id: Makes partial updates to a resource.
DELETE /resource/:id: Deletes a resource.

What makes an API RESTful?

An API (Application Programming Interface) acts as a messenger between different software applications. It defines a set of rules, protocols, and specifications for how applications request data, exchange information, and receive responses.

Table of Content

Introduction to REST API
HTTP Methods
Representation
Clinet-Server
Stateless Communication
Resource-Based
Self-Descriptive Messages
Hypermedia (HATEOAS – Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State)
Best Practices for Designing Robust and User-Friendly RESTful APIs

HTTP Methods

What makes an API RESTful?

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