The document provides an overview of common HTTP request methods, detailing their purposes, use cases, and examples. Methods covered include GET for retrieving data, POST for submitting data, PUT for updating resources, PATCH for partial updates, DELETE for resource removal, OPTIONS for communication options, HEAD for header retrieval, TRACE for debugging, and CONNECT for establishing secure connections. Each method is characterized by its functionalities and typical scenarios in which it would be utilized.

1. HTTP Request Methods
Overview of Common HTTP Request Modes and Their Uses

2. GET
Purpose: Retrieve data from the server.
Does not modify server resources.
Use Case: Fetching a webpage or retrieving items.
Example: GET /api/products?category=electronics

3. POST
Purpose: Submit data to the server for processing.
Creates new resources, data sent in request body.
Use Case: Creating a user account or submitting forms.
Example: POST /api/users

4. PUT
Purpose: Update or create a resource.
Replaces the entire resource, idempotent method.
Use Case: Updating user profile data.
Example: PUT /api/users/123

5. PATCH
Purpose: Partially update a resource.
More efficient for small updates, modifies provided fields
only.
Use Case: Changing a user’s password.
Example: PATCH /api/users/123

6. DELETE
Purpose: Remove a resource from the server.
Idempotent: Multiple requests achieve the same result.
Use Case: Deleting a user account.
Example: DELETE /api/users/123

7. OPTIONS
Purpose: Describe communication options for a resource.
Does not alter resources, often used for CORS preflight
requests.
Use Case: Checking allowed HTTP methods.
Example: OPTIONS /api/users

8. HEAD
Purpose: Retrieve headers for a resource without the body.
Identical to GET but no response body is returned.
Use Case: Checking metadata like content length or type.
Example: HEAD /api/products

9. TRACE
Purpose: Echo the received request for debugging.
Rarely used due to security risks.
Use Case: Debugging client-server communication.
Example: TRACE /api/products

10. CONNECT
Purpose: Establish a tunnel to the server.
Used for HTTPS requests through a proxy.
Use Case: Secure connections via a proxy server.
Example: CONNECT www.example.com:443