HTTP Patch XmlHttpRequest support

Question

I am working on some todo app and would like to use the HTTP method PATCH to add and remove todo's because this would be semantically better than PUT.

In the backend I am using express.js (node.js) and in the front-end backbone.js (which uses jQuery for ajax).

I already tried if it actually works in back- and front-end on my local developement suite (Archlinux, Chromium 20, node.js 0.8, express 2.X) and it worked:

app.js

app.patch('/todo/:id', function(req, res){
    console.log('patch successfull');
}

chromium web console

$.ajax({ 
    url: '/messages/4ff13720f00e2e2c4b000006',
    type: 'PATCH',
    data: { body: 'that is a patched message' } 
});

The request was mentioned and also database actions where possible without exceptions.

I would now like to know how other browsers support the patch method. I looked with google but it is hard to find something because PATCH has multiple meanings...

Answer 1

Most browsers restrict HTTP methods to GET/POST when applied to forms. However, with AJAX requests as long as the backend server can support the method it will work.

Answer 2

Modern browsers do support PATCH (in fact with $ajax you can do any method you like, as long as the browser doesn't block it). Below IE9 you're out of luck.

With FF, Chrome and Safari it's less of an issue, because those started auto-updating years ago and more than two years ago they stopped blocking methods other than GET and POST.