In a previous article, we described how to choose a HTTP method when implementing operations that affect resources. Today, we are going to explain how to implement services that manage concurrent operations on a resource and how clients should use such services.

The Problem

Sometimes, Apps must handle concurrent updates on a resource. Just imagine an application that acts like a Wiki, where users read, write, and edit articles.

We do a lot of REST in the Pineapple team. We love REST. Why? There are many reasons:

• It is standard, so that creating services always follows a pattern
• Developing clients is super easy, in all programming languages
• Programmers can easily understand it
• Testing (of all types) can be easily automated
• Because it relies on HTTP, it’s highly scalable infrastructure wise
• We can choose the preferred data format for sending and receiving information – usually JSON 🙂