@PathParam vs @QueryParam: When to Use Which Annotation?

Differentiation of Parameters: @PathParam vs @QueryParam

Unlike commonly asked questions, this discussion centers on best practices for selecting between @PathParam and @QueryParam annotations in RESTful API design.

@PathParam for Category Identification

Consider using @PathParam for parameters that represent categories or hierarchies. This allows for a more structured and tree-like organization of the URL path. For instance:

/Vehicle/Car?registration=123
/House/Colonial?region=newengland

@QueryParam for Instance Selection

Conversely, employ @QueryParam for parameters that specify attributes or values used to locate a specific instance within a category.

/employee?dept=1&id=5

Handling Hierarchical Structures

For hierarchical structures, consider the examples below:

• Path-based: /employee/IT/JohnSmith
• Path/query hybrid: /employee/IT?id=123
• Query-based: /employee?dept=IT&id=123

Standard Conventions and Best Practices

While there are no strict standards, common REST API practices suggest limiting path parameters to essential and non-optional information. Optional and filter-related parameters should typically be expressed as query strings. This approach ensures flexibility and readability in URL construction.

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