What RESTful operation does the PUT/PATCH HTTP method correspond to?

The PUT and PATCH HTTP methods are primarily used to update existing resources in RESTful API architecture. When you use these methods, you are indicating to the server that you want to modify a resource that is already available.

The PUT method typically requires the client to send the entire updated representation of the resource, essentially replacing the current resource with the new data provided. On the other hand, PATCH is used for partial updates, allowing the client to send only the changes, rather than the entire resource.

This focus on changing existing data clearly aligns both methods with the operation of updating, distinguishing them from other HTTP methods like GET, which is used for reading data, POST, which is utilized for creating new resources, and DELETE, which is employed to remove existing resources.