In this article, we will talk about the difference between PUT and PATCH HTTP requests. PUT and PATCH requests are HTTP verbs and both relate to updating the resources at a location.
PUT HTTP Request: PUT is a method of modifying resources where the client sends data that updates the entire resource. PUT is similar to POST in that it can create resources, but it does so when there is a defined URL wherein PUT replaces the entire resource if it exists or creates new if it does not exist.
For example, When you want to update the Candidate name and email, you have to send all the parameters of the Candidate including those not to be updated in the request body, otherwise, it will simply replace the entire resource with the name and email.
{
id: 8,
email: "lindsay.ferguson@reqres.in",
// field to be updated
first_name: "Lindsay",
// field to be updated
last_name: "Ferguson",
avatar: "https://reqres.in/img/faces/8-image.jpg"
}
let us take an example to understand PUT requests by sending only the fields that we want to update.
Example: The following code demonstrates the PUT request method
Javascript
let PutRequest = () => { // Sending PUT request with fetch API in javascript headers: { Accept: "application/json", "Content-Type": "application/json" }, method: "PUT", // Sending only the fields that to be updated body: JSON.stringify({ email: "hello@geeky.com", first_name: "Geeky" }) }) .then(function (response) { // Console.log(response); return response.json(); }) .then(function (data) { console.log(data); });};PutRequest(); |
Output:
example of put request
In the above example, we have made a PUT request to the server, with a payload attached to the body. If we want to update the name and email, with a PUT request we have to send all the other fields such id,avatarlast_name, to the server, otherwise, it replaces the data with the payload passed as we can see in the above example.
PATCH HTTP Request: Unlike PUT Request, PATCH does partial update e.g. Fields that need to be updated by the client, only that field is updated without modifying the other field.
So in the previous example, we have to send only the name and email field in the request body.
{
"first_name":"Geeky", // field that to be updated
"email":"hello@geeky.com", // field that to be updated
}
Example: The following code demonstrates the PATCH request method
Javascript
let PatchRequest = () => { // sending PUT request with fetch API in javascript headers: { Accept: "application/json", "Content-Type": "application/json" }, method: "PATCH", // Fields that to be updated are passed body: JSON.stringify({ email: "hello@geeky.com", first_name: "Geeky" }) }) .then(function (response) { // console.log(response); return response.json(); }) .then(function (data) { console.log(data); });};PatchRequest(); |
Output:
patch request
In the above example, we have made a PATCH request to the server, with a payload attached to the body. If we want to update the email and first_name, with a PATCH request then we have to send only the fields that have to be updated e.g first_name and email.
Difference between PUT and PATCH requests:
|
PUT |
PATCH |
|---|---|
| PUT is a method of modifying resource where the client sends data that updates the entire resource . | PATCH is a method of modifying resources where the client sends partial data that is to be updated without modifying the entire data. |
| In a PUT request, the enclosed entity is considered to be a modified version of the resource stored on the origin server, and the client is requesting that the stored version be replaced | With PATCH, however, the enclosed entity contains a set of instructions describing how a resource currently residing on the origin server should be modified to produce a new version. |
| HTTP PUT is said to be idempotent, So if you send retry a request multiple times, that should be equivalent to a single request modification | HTTP PATCH is considered idempotent. When a PATCH request is sent multiple times, it will have the same effect as sending it once |
| It has High Bandwidth | Since Only data that need to be modified if send in the request body as a payload , It has Low Bandwidth |
