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Do you know how a resource edit path should looks like on a restful web app?

Can't find any serious reference but the Ruby on Rails way that it's just a convention.

I'm not talking about the put request that is used to update the resource but the path that usually returns a form, or similar, to the user to let him create and submit the final put request that updates the resource.

An example of the previously mentioned Ruby on Rails way would be a get request to:

http://domain.com/resource_name/resource_id/edit

Just wondering if there's some serious reference or explanation that makes this a good approach or not.

Roberto Decurnex
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Your question is a little vague, I think; but I'll take a stab at it.

Say you have a resource at http://example.com/planets/earth. If you want to edit something about earth, do a PUT to that URI, with the new representation you would like it to have. The same could be said for, say, a user: http://example.com/users/JamesKirk.

The important thing about REST is that the 'edit' path is not seen as a path at all, it is HTTP's methods and how they operate on your resources.

Here's a good book on the subject of restful web services: RESTful Web Services

  • Sorry about the lack of details. A put to the resource path is definitively the right approach. But it's like the update action over the resource. When talking about web apps, and no just a service, most of the times you will need an edit path to get the user a form, or similar, that they can use to submit the information (create the put request). – Roberto Decurnex Aug 31 '11 at 17:46
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    Have the edit form itself be a resource... in it specify the resource to edit (or maybe you know ahead of time and it's not necessary) and also any other relevant fields you need. When the form is submitted, have it PUT to the proper resource URL (or possibly overloaded POST). –  Sep 09 '11 at 15:46
  • @raeb: Great comment about the edit form being a resource on its own – Tomasz Zieliński Nov 16 '11 at 11:03
  • @TomaszZielinski : Perhaps one of the 2 following possibilities... 1.) The form is only for editing/adding one resource (book) at a time. 2.) Make several requests, I see no need to try and add a book, and edit 2 books in 1 request when the same result can be achieved in 3 simpler requests. –  Nov 16 '11 at 19:48