Menu
Let's say I have a resource called "Session". The client would call PUT to create and begin a new session. When the client is finished with the session, it should no longer be accessible, but should persist for historical/accountability reasons.
To end the session, would it be more appropriate to issue a DELETE request, which would seem semantically closer to the desired effect, or POST, seeing as the resource isn't actually removed permanently?
272
The difference between PUT or DELETE and POST is that PUT and DELETE are idempotent, whereas POST is not. PUT and DELETE can be repeated if necessary. Let's say you're trying to upload a new page to a site.
The HTTP DELETE method is used to delete a resource from the server. Unlike GET and HEAD requests, the DELETE requests may change the server state. Sending a message body on a DELETE request might cause some servers to reject the request. But you still can send data to the server using URL parameters.
The most commonly used HTTP request methods are GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE.
The DELETE method requests that the origin server delete the resource identified by the Request-URI. This method MAY be overridden by human intervention (or other means) on the origin server.
The question here is: Is the request idempotent? If you execute the same request twice, does it have a side effect? Like when you order an article, executing the order request twice would get you the article twice.
In that case, POST is the method you want. If not, then you want either PUT or DELETE.
As you don't seem to be deleting the session, only altering its state, PUT would be a better method, because it means that the resource is altered, and not deleted, which is the case in your case.
Edit:
If the resource appears to be deleted from the client, DELETE seems more appropriate. How things are implemented in the back doesn't matter for the client.
54
If you love us? You can donate to us via Paypal or buy me a coffee so we can maintain and grow! Thank you!
Donate Us With
