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javarestresponseputrestful-architecture

RESTful Responses to PUT/POST

Is it RESTful to return a slightly different object, like the one which was send to the server, on a POST/PUT?

Example:

The client sends (POST/PUT) an Order to the Server to create an Order. The Server sends a Response Object, lets call it OrderResponse which contains the Attributes of the created Order plus some different informations like delivery time, terms of payment and so on. Is this RESTful or should i just return an OrderId and offer a new Service, where the Client could retrieve the OrderResponse?

Edit:

I am not able to give the Client an URL to the new Order, because the Order isnt saved in a Database. My application sends the Order via Messaging to a third party system, where I cant read it from, but the third party system sends me some additonal informations, which I add to the OrderResponse.

Solution

  • I would not consider Order and OrderResponse to be different Resources. They are of the same type. It is just that the client can't and shouldn't know all the details of this Resource. The exact ID is assigned by the server, for example.

    • Use the same Resource with perhaps different Representations.
    • Return a Location header in the HTTP response to the POST request that contains the URI of the creates Order.
    • Make the Representation of the Order and this URI more complete that the one POSTed by the client.