HTTP methods explained: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH and DELETE in API design

The article explains how HTTP methods tell a server which operation a client wants to perform on a resource in an API. Using a user-management example, it compares the operations to requests made at a library counter, where the object stays the same but the requested action changes. GET retrieves resource representations and is considered safe because it should not alter server state. POST sends data to create a resource or trigger an application-defined operation, often returning a 201 Created status. The piece also introduces PUT, which creates or replaces a resource at a given URI, and goes on to cover PATCH and DELETE.