ELI5: PUT and PATCH Requests

Alyssa — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 23:14:55 +0000

In Module Three at Flatiron School we were introduced to JavaScript. The main concepts covered in this section were DOM manipulation, event handling, and fetch. All three concepts go hand in hand, and as students it was imperative to understand how they coincide in order to use CRUD functionality in creating a dynamic web application.

One thing I found particularly tricky was the concept of fetch, and more specifically, using fetch to send PUT and PATCH requests to the API. At first glance, both HTTP verbs seem to be very similar. In terms of CRUD, both are associated with updating a resource. The two may appear to be interchangeable. So how do we know when to use one over the other?

The main difference between PUT and PATCH is in the way the server handles the data it receives from the fetch request to modify the resource identified by the request URI. While it's true both PUT and PATCH can update the same location, the two handle updating differently.

A PUT request needs us to send the entire payload to the server. The data a PUT request receives from the client will completely update a resource's information. It can also create a new resource from the information provided if one does not exist already.

Let's take a look at a simple example of a PUT request. In this request, we are sending the information we'd like the server to change through the body of the fetch, identifying the resource we'd like to change by its id.

With PATCH, we only need to send the specific parameters that we want to update. Only the parameters that we request to be updated will be modified; everything else will remain as is. This is a partial update the existing resource.

Using our previous example data, let's send a PATCH request to update our completed status to true. Since this is the only piece of information the server needs us to update, we only need to send that through the body.

The UPDATE part of CRUD tends to be a bit confusing for students new to fetch. One of the most important steps is to identify what it is you want to change in your app so you can choose the appropriate HTTP verb. If it's a single piece of data, you can go with PATCH. If you need to update a more than single piece of information, use PUT. Being able to update your application with user input is an essential part of building a fully functional and dynamic app. Using fetch can be daunting for new JavaScript developers, but it's important to become comfortable with it and the HTTP verbs you will inevitably run into!

The Dreaded Imposter Syndrome

Alyssa — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 18:45:40 +0000

I've got imposter syndrome… and maybe you do too?

First of all… what even is Imposter Syndrome? Imposter Syndrome is loosely defined as the fear of being found out as a fraud, as somebody who is not qualified to be doing the work they are doing despite their talent and experience. This belief tends to be somewhat baseless, as people are often more qualified than they believe. However, our inner voices can be strong and the more we tell ourselves something, the more it tends to come to fruition.

Anybody can experience imposter syndrome. What I've found interesting about Flatiron School is that people from all backgrounds come together all with the same end goal of becoming software developers. Everyone has a different story before starting the bootcamp which means it should be hard to compare or quantify our skills. However, it can be so easy to slip into a mindset of comparison as we move through the program. I believe that it's essential to think of our differences as strengths rather than weaknesses. Being exposed to different perspectives can spark new ideas and keep our current ideas fresh.

I do feel like I've experienced imposer syndrome coming to Flatiron. My educational background isn't in tech; I have a bachelors degree in Sociology with a minor in Social Work. Even though I spent (too) much of my time growing up playing computer and video games, I didn't take the plunge into learning to code until around two years ago. Even though I zoomed through HTML and CSS, JavaScript took me good amount of time to get the hang of. I knew the pace of the bootcamp would be fast and I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up. And true to imposter syndrome, I felt like I almost tricked my way into the course. Even though I had been studying programming for over a year and half, at times it didn't seem like enough. Did I just get into the program out of sheer luck? Another thing that came to mind was the pervasive gender gap in technology. Women are outnumbered to men, and in a way that made the stakes higher to me. I was afraid of failing and being seen as yet another woman who couldn't cut it in the field.

So what can we all do to combat imposter syndrome? Here are some strategies that I've come up with and been trying to practice so far.

Reminding myself that learning anything takes time, and that's why maintaining a positive mindset and respecting where I'm at right now is so important.
Appreciating the challenges that learning to code has presented me. Celebrating what I do know and claiming what I have learned so far
Finding a mentor who you I relate to and be open with. Talk to them about how I'm contributing and what I do well and know well and what else I have to learn.

Remember that everyone is on a learning journey all of the time - and as long as you remain open and curious, you can quiet your inner imposter.

DEV Community: Alyssa

ELI5: PUT and PATCH Requests

The Dreaded Imposter Syndrome