Top http request methods

Let's break down the 9 key HTTP methods today :

1. GET: The 'Read' Operation - Retrieves data from the server - Example: GET /api/users (fetches list of users) - Safe and idempotent (multiple identical requests should have the same effect as a single request) 

 2. POST: The 'Create' Operation - Submits data to be processed by the server - Example: POST /api/users (creates a new user) - Not idempotent (multiple identical requests may result in multiple resources being created) 

 3. PUT: The 'Update/Replace' Operation - Updates an existing resource or creates it if it doesn't exist - Example: PUT /api/users/123 (updates user with ID 123) - Idempotent (multiple identical requests should have the same effect as a single request) 

 4. PATCH: The 'Partial Update' Operation - Partially modifies an existing resource - Example: PATCH /api/users/123 (updates specific fields of user 123) - Not guaranteed to be idempotent 

 5. DELETE: The 'Delete' Operation - Removes a specified resource - Example: DELETE /api/users/123 (deletes user with ID 123) - Idempotent (deleting an already deleted resource should not change the server state)

 6. HEAD: The 'Header' Operation - Similar to GET but retrieves only headers, not the body - Useful for checking resource metadata without transferring the entire resource - Example: HEAD /api/users (retrieves headers for the users list) 

 7. OPTIONS: The 'Communication Options' Operation - Describes communication options for the target resource - Useful for CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) preflight requests - Example: OPTIONS /api/users (returns allowed methods on this endpoint)

 8. TRACE: The 'Diagnostic' Operation - Performs a message loop-back test along the path to the target resource - Useful for debugging, but often disabled for security reasons - Example: TRACE /api/users (echoes back the received request)

 9. CONNECT: The 'Tunnel' Operation - Establishes a tunnel to the server identified by the target resource - Primarily used for SSL tunneling through proxies - Example: CONNECT example.com:443 HTTP/1.1 Understanding these methods is key to designing robust and REST APIs. Each method has its specific use case and implications for server behavior. 

 Pro Tip: When designing APIs, consider the idempotency and safety of your operations. GET, HEAD, and OPTIONS are safe methods that shouldn't change server state.