Mention what is the difference between PUT and POST?

When designing APIs, understanding the differences between the HTTP methods PUT and POST is crucial. Here are the key distinctions:

Purpose and Usage

• PUT: The PUT method is used to create or update a resource at a specific URI. If the resource already exists, PUT will update it; if it does not exist, PUT will create it. This method is idempotent, meaning that multiple identical requests will have the same effect as a single request[1][2][3][4].
• POST: The POST method is used to create a new resource. It sends data to the server to be processed, which can result in the creation of a new resource. POST is not idempotent, meaning that multiple identical requests can result in multiple resources being created[1][2][3][4].

Idempotency

• PUT: Idempotent. Repeating the same PUT request will not change the outcome beyond the initial application. For example, updating a user profile with the same data multiple times will result in the same profile[1][2][3][4].
• POST: Not idempotent. Repeating the same POST request can create multiple resources. For example, submitting the same form multiple times can result in multiple entries in a database[1][2][3][4].

URI Specification

• PUT: The client specifies the URI of the resource. The request body contains the complete representation of the resource to be created or updated[1][2][3][4].
• POST: The server determines the URI of the new resource. The request body contains the data to be processed, which the server uses to create the resource[1][2][3][4].

Request Body

• PUT: The request body must contain the entire resource representation. If only part of the resource needs to be updated, the entire resource must still be sent[1][2][3][4].
• POST: The request body contains the data needed to create the resource. It can be partial data, and the server will handle the creation process[1][2][3][4].

Use Cases

• PUT: Suitable for updating an existing resource or creating a resource at a known URI. Commonly used in RESTful APIs for update operations[1][2][3][4].
• POST: Suitable for creating a new resource when the clien...