Re: [xml-dev] RESTful XML for updates?

[Elliotte Harold <elharo@metalab.unc.edu>]

Scott, Christopher wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> 	I'm putting together a RESTful webservice and I wanted to get
> some input about how one would design XML resource representations.  The
> question has to deal with designing the resource with updates in mind.
> I've googled for examples but most articles outline what a resource
> should look like, but not how it should be updated.
> 
> I would like to be able to update a representation without having to PUT
> the entire resource representation back to the server.  For example,
> consider a simple resource which resides at a URL /Widget/001
> 
> <Widget>
>   <Id>0FAB7894C</Id>
>   <CreatedDate>2009-03-05</CreatedDate>
>   <State>INSPECTED</State>
>   <Color>Blue</Color>
>   <Whatsists>
>     <Whatsist href="/Whatsist/1002"/>
>     <Whatsist href="/Whatsist/1002"/>
>   </Whatsists>
> </Widget>
> 
> I'd like the client to be able to change the color or state of this
> widget to, say REJECTED, but not be able to change the id, or the
> CreatedDate. 

Don't be afraid of having lots of URLs. In this case, I would also 
define a URL at /Widget/001/Color to which you could PUT just the color.

I'm not sure about the best answer as to indicating which fields are 
updateable. perhaps a separate custom document indicating this?


-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo@metalab.unc.edu
Refactoring HTML Just Published!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0321503635/ref=nosim/cafeaulaitA