Re: REST and DELETE?

Hi Dan,

On Aug 8, 2012, at 7:56 PM, Dan Stromberg wrote:

> 
> There's something I'm not getting about REST.
> 
> We're supposed to use HTTP verbs like GET, PUT, POST and DELETE.
> 
> But we're also supposed to be avoiding server state, like sessions.

Right. REST does not allow *session* state. All information about the state of the current application (the interacion that is going on between client and server)
must reside on the client. 

> 
> How can we have a stateless protocol (that is, a protocol in which all state is saved in the client, using the REST hierarchy as a sort of state machine), that supports a DELETE operation?

Of course you can have server side state. That is except for a few edge cases of purely-processor-like-resources (e.g. convert Word to PDF service) the whole point: to access and alter server side state. Just never store interaction state there - if you want to then make it a resource. A shopping cart[1] that is implemented as a resource would be such an example.


HTH

JAn

[1] Though the canonical shopping cart in REST would be a state bucket on the client that is filled during interactions and only submitted to the server at checkout, when the order is placed.


> 
> Are some HTTP verbs more RESTful than others?  It seems like PUT, POST and DELETE are all about storing state on the server.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> 



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rest-discuss/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rest-discuss/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    [email protected] 
    [email protected]

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    [email protected]

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/