CODEWITHSUNDEEP
node.jsrest
ינון רחמים
ינון רחמים

Reputation: 706

What is the suitable REST API method

I'm building a social app with the ability of send friend request, confirm request, cancel request, delete friend, and so on. From DB perspective - the friends array is in the 'User' schema. Therefor, these actions are not suitable precisely to DELETE, POST api methods, but to PATCH. But it is a bit weird and unintuitive to make all these action with PATCH...


router.patch( // <============ PATCH
  '/send-friend-request',
  parseTokenAndPassUser,
  userControllers.sendFriendRequest
);

router.patch( // <============ PATCH
  '/confirm-friend-request',
  parseTokenAndPassUser,
  userControllers.confirmFriendRequest
);

router.patch( // <============ PATCH
  '/remove-friend',
  parseTokenAndPassUser,
  userControllers.removeFriend
);

router.patch( // <============ PATCH
  '/refuse-friend-request',
  parseTokenAndPassUser,
  userControllers.refuseFriendRequest
);

router.patch( // <============ PATCH
  '/cancel-friend-request',
  parseTokenAndPassUser,
  userControllers.cancelFriendRequest
);

So what are the suitable methods for that?

In addition, what is the correct REST API method for signin? ( POST is meant to create resources ) ...

thanks

Upvotes: 0

Views: 65

Answers (1)

IAmDranged
IAmDranged

Reputation: 3020

I don't think REST is concerned so much with how the data model is actually implemented at the database level, but rather with resources at a higher level. The HTTP method should reflect the semantics of what you are trying to do with a particular resource, and the url point to the proper resource in the graph.

For instance if you want to delete a friend resource that is a subresource to a user in your resource graph, you want to design a route with:

  • a DELETE action
  • a URL pointing to the proper friend subresource in the graph ie typically users/userId/friends

Upvotes: 1

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