Difference between resource and resources methods

Question

What is the logical difference between resource and resources methods

Here is some examples:

resource :orders, :only =>          


        

Answer 1

At a high level, the intent of resource is to declare that only one of these resources will ever exist. For example:

resource :profile, :only => [:edit, :update]

As a user, I should only be able to update my own profile. I should never be able to edit other users' profiles, so there's no need for a URL scheme like /users/1/profile/edit. Instead, I use /profile/edit, and the controller knows to use the current user's ID rather than the ID passed in the URL (since there is none).

That's why you don't get an index action with resource: there's only one resource, so there's no sense in "listing" them.