RESTful API design: Is providing a specific sub-URI for a specific resource's properties something one should encourage/avoid?

Question

Designing an API as RESTful as possible, I wonder if it is ok to divide a resource with specific sub-URIs.

Let's have the following URIs:

• GET /users: list users

• GET /users/42: get detailed information about user with id=42, e.g.:

  {
      id: 42,
      first_name: "Done",
      last_name: "Joe",
      is_active: false
  }
  

I am about to consider the "is active" status as its own resource:

• GET /users/42/is_active: get activity status about user with id=42

  {
      is_active: false
  }
  

• PUT /users/42/is_active: set activity status about user with id=42 using as body:

  {
      is_active: false
  }
  

Any pro's or con's for doing so?

Answer 1

What you're talking about is called a "micro-resource". It's useful for doing partial updates in an idempotent manner. It's not popular in more well-known APIs, but it's certainly a valid design approach.