Which HTTP method replaces an entire resource with the provided data and is idempotent, making it suitable for updating a full user profile?

Which HTTP method replaces an entire resource with the provided data and is idempotent, making it suitable for updating a full user profile?

• A. GET
• B. PUT
• C. PATCH
• D. DELETE

Answer: (B)

Replacing an entire resource with the provided data requires a method that overwrites the resource's representation at the target URL and stays the same if you repeat the request. This behavior is what the PUT method provides. When you send a complete representation of a resource, like a full user profile, to its URL, the server replaces the existing resource with this new state. Because sending the same payload to the same URL yields the same final resource, repeated PUT requests are idempotent. This makes PUT well suited for updating an entire profile, since the stored representation will exactly match the payload you sent. In contrast, GET is only for retrieving data and should not modify resources. PATCH is designed for partial updates—changing only specified fields—and may not replace the whole resource or be guaranteed to be idempotent, depending on the implementation. DELETE removes the resource entirely rather than updating its content.

Replacing an entire resource with the provided data requires a method that overwrites the resource's representation at the target URL and stays the same if you repeat the request. This behavior is what the PUT method provides. When you send a complete representation of a resource, like a full user profile, to its URL, the server replaces the existing resource with this new state. Because sending the same payload to the same URL yields the same final resource, repeated PUT requests are idempotent. This makes PUT well suited for updating an entire profile, since the stored representation will exactly match the payload you sent.

In contrast, GET is only for retrieving data and should not modify resources. PATCH is designed for partial updates—changing only specified fields—and may not replace the whole resource or be guaranteed to be idempotent, depending on the implementation. DELETE removes the resource entirely rather than updating its content.