Is it more beneficial to categorize REST-based modules/controllers by resource or by specific action/feature?

I'm facing a scenario that goes like this:

Endpoint 1: Retrieve all books in the United States owned by John with a GET Request to /country/us/person/john/books

Endpoint 2: Get all books owned by John in every country with a GET Request to /person/john/books

Endpoint 3: Fetch all books across all countries using a GET Request to /country/books

I am planning on creating a rest server using NestJS (although not directly related to this question) which leverages the concept of modules for organizing controllers.

In this context, should I create:

  • A single module named books containing one controller managing three routes. Or,
  • Split it into two modules, namely booksByCountry and booksByPerson

Is there a best practice or recommendation when approaching this situation?

javascriptrestmodel-view-controllernestjsweb-development-server

Answer №1

When setting up your API, the approach you take will depend on how you want to structure it in a meaningful way.
Consider your specific use cases and resource access requirements. For example, if you need to retrieve books by person and/or country, here are a couple of options:

Initial Approach:

API1: Retrieve all books in the US owned by John:
Make a GET Request to 

/books/person/{personName}/country/{countryName}

API2: Get all books owned by John in every country:
Access via a GET Request to /books/person/{personName}

API3: Fetch all books across all countries:
Utilize a GET Request to /books

Alternative Perspective:

API1: Retrieve all books in the US owned by John:
Issue a GET Request to 

/persons/{personName}/books?country={countryName}

API2: Get all books owned by John in every country:
Access through a GET Request to 

/persons/{personName}/books?country=all
(or simply /persons/{personName}/books without specifying all as a query parameter value)

API3: Fetch all books across all countries:
Retrieve using a GET Request to /books

In Summary:

The choice between these approaches hinges on the semantic clarity of your URIs and how you prefer to manage your path and query parameters. Whether your API is intended for public consumption or internal usage only, ensure that the exposure of your resources is straightforward and logical so that users can easily navigate the documentation and utilize the API.

If this explanation has been helpful, feel free to share your thoughts and insights on this topic!

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