Re: RESTful Toggle

"mike amundsen [email protected] [rest-discuss]" <[email protected]> Wed, 9 Jul 2014 08:59:48 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.comp.web.services.rest
Message-ID <CAPW_8m7x6QG3HG29zH1v27roJG-Rn07UzfUG4cwLxbmOTZEnaA@mail.gmail.com>
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it sounds like you want to implement "toggle" and i doubt "toggle" would
ever be idempotent since idempotent requests will contain the state that
you want to write ("on" or "off").

FWIW, you could use a non-idempotent write (HTTP.POST) to implement
"toggle" -- that would be consistent at the *network level* -- but i'm not
sure if that's what you need.




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On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 5:28 PM, 'Simpson, Robby (GE Energy Management)'
[email protected] [rest-discuss] <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Hi,
>
>
> I've been scratching my head over this one for a while and am hoping I can
> get some help.
>
>
> Imagine a light switch with one simple resource: /state , where state can
> be "On" or "Off."
>
>
> One can PUT to /state , changing /state to either "On" or "Off."
> Similarly, a GET to /state will tell you if the light is currently "On" or
> "Off."
>
>
> Where I'm struggling is with a safe "Toggle" mechanism.  That is, if
> /state is "On", change it to "Off" and vice versa.
>
>
> I understand that one solution would be to simply perform a GET on /state
> and then PUT the opposite.  However, I am concerned with both the overhead
> and latency this entails as well as the potential for a race condition
> (what if /state changes between the GET and the PUT?).
>
>
> Any solution I've looked at thus far seems to violate RESTful principles,
> particularly regarding idempotency.  In short, can one safely toggle?
>
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Robby
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
> Posted by: "Simpson, Robby (GE Energy Management)" <[email protected]>
> ------------------------------------
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo Groups Links
>
>
>
>

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      <p><div dir=3D"ltr">it sounds like you want to implement &quot;toggle=
&quot; and i doubt &quot;toggle&quot; would ever be idempotent since idempo=
tent requests will contain the state that you want to write (&quot;on&quot;=
 or &quot;off&quot;).<div>

<br></div><div>FWIW, you could use a non-idempotent write (HTTP.POST) to im=
plement &quot;toggle&quot; -- that would be consistent at the *network leve=
l* -- but i&#39;m not sure if that&#39;s what you need.</div><div><br>
</div>
<div><br></div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br clear=3D"all"><div><div=
 dir=3D"ltr"><div><br></div>mamund<div><span><span title=3D"Call with Googl=
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<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 5:28 PM, &#39;Sim=
pson, Robby (GE Energy Management)&#39; <a href=3D"mailto:robby.simpson@ge.=
com">[email protected]</a> [rest-discuss] <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=
=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">rest-dis=
[email protected]</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>

<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left:1px #ccc solid;">Hi,=
<br>
<br>
<br>
I&#39;ve been scratching my head over this one for a while and am hoping I =
can<br>
get some help.<br>
<br>
<br>
Imagine a light switch with one simple resource: /state , where state can<b=
r>
be &quot;On&quot; or &quot;Off.&quot;<br>
<br>
<br>
One can PUT to /state , changing /state to either &quot;On&quot; or &quot;O=
ff.&quot;<br>
Similarly, a GET to /state will tell you if the light is currently &quot;On=
&quot; or<br>
&quot;Off.&quot;<br>
<br>
<br>
Where I&#39;m struggling is with a safe &quot;Toggle&quot; mechanism. =C2=
=A0That is, if<br>
/state is &quot;On&quot;, change it to &quot;Off&quot; and vice versa.<br>
<br>
<br>
I understand that one solution would be to simply perform a GET on /state<b=
r>
and then PUT the opposite. =C2=A0However, I am concerned with both the over=
head<br>
and latency this entails as well as the potential for a race condition<br>
(what if /state changes between the GET and the PUT?).<br>
<br>
<br>
Any solution I&#39;ve looked at thus far seems to violate RESTful principle=
s,<br>
particularly regarding idempotency. =C2=A0In short, can one safely toggle?<=
br>
<br>
<br>
Any suggestions?<br>
<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
Robby<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
------------------------------------<br>
Posted by: &quot;Simpson, Robby (GE Energy Management)&quot; &lt;<a href=3D=
"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>&gt;<br>
------------------------------------<br>
<br>
<br>
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