REST verbs - which convention is “correct”

Question

I\'m well into implementing a REST service (on a Windows CE platform if that matters) and I started out using IBM\'s general definitions of using POST for creating (INSERTs)

Answer 1

PUT can be used for creation when the server grants the client control over a portion of its URI space. This is equivalent to file creation in a file system: when you save to a file that does not yet exist you create it and if that file exists the result is an update.

However, PUT is lacking the ability of an implicit intent of the client. Consider placing an order: if you PUT to /orders/my-new-order the meaning can only ever be update the resource identified by /orders/my-new-order whereas POST /orders/ can mean 'place a new order' if the POST accepting resource has the appropriate semantics.

IOW, if you want to achieve anything as a side effect of the creation of the new resource you must use POST.

Jan