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Understanding HTTP methods

Understanding HTTP methods

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Koustav Chatterjee
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3 min read

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the backbone of communication on the web, enabling clients and servers to exchange data. At the heart of HTTP are its methods, which define the action to be performed on a resource. Each method has specific use cases, and understanding them is essential for building efficient and secure web applications. Let's dive into the most commonly used HTTP methods and their practical applications.

What is HTTP?

The most used protocol for sending data between clients and servers on the internet, including HTML pages, photos, and videos, is HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol. According to the request-response model, the client makes a request to the server, which either provides the desired information or an error message. Because HTTP is stateless, the server responds to each request on its own, without being aware of earlier queries.

What are HTTP methods?

HTTP methods are used to indicate the action an API client would like to perform on a given resource. Each HTTP method maps to a specific operation, such as creating, reading, updating, or deleting a resource, and an HTTP method must be included with every request to a REST API.

Some common HTTP methods

The most commonly used HTTP methods are:

  1. GET: The GET method is used to retrieve data on a server. For example, a GET request to /students will fetch the list of all students who took admission in a cohort. Similarly, a GET request on the route /student/2 will fetch information about the student with roll number 2 in the cohort.

  2. POST: The POST method is used to create new resources. For example, if the admin of the cohort wants to admit a new student, he will simply a POST request on the route /students. Unlike, GET request, POST request needs to send a request body.

     {
     name: "ABCE DDCG",
     roll: 12,
     validity: 6
 }

  3. PUT: The PUT method is used to replace an existing resource with an updated version. For example, if the admin wants to update everything related to a student in the cohort, he/she will use PUT method. Any field not included in the body will be discarded for the existing user and new fields included in request body will be added.

  4. PATCH: The PATCH method is used to update an existing resource. It differs from PUT on the point that it updates only a part or a particular field without overwriting the other fields. For example, if the admin wants to update the validity of the student he/she will use the PATCH method.

  5. DELETE: The DELETE method is used to remove data from a database. For example, if the admin wants to delete a particular student from the database he/she will make request like /students/ 12 for delete method.

  6. TRACE: The TRACE method is used to perform a loop-back test. It is used for Diagnosing connection issues and debugging proxies or firewalls.

  7. HEAD: The HEAD method is similar to GET, but it retrieves only the headers of a resource, not the body. It checks if a resource exists without downloading it and validates cache freshness by examining headers.

Designing effective, safe, and maintainable web applications requires an understanding of HTTP methods and the use cases that are acceptable for them. Developers can retain clarity and consistency in their APIs while guaranteeing smooth client-server interactions by following these principles.

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