Get- and Post- Method
Communication between client and server is based on HTTP requests and responses. The client sends a request and receives a response, which may contain HTML. The request contains an HTTP method that informs the server about the nature of the request. The most common methods are Get and Post. Get is used to retrieve data, while Post is used to send data to the server. Choosing the right method is important to perform the desired actions. HTTP enables the exchange of data and the control of communication between client and server.
The following illustrations show a simplified version of the request and the response:
The Get method is a simple call, the Post method can send data from the user. The Get method is therefore a call for a specific resource to be sent. The Post method makes it possible to send resources to the server, which can be stored by the server.
However, the HTTP Get method can send very small amounts of data. Reasons for using post instead of get methods are the following:
- The total number of characters in the get is limited, for example when entering a long text in a search field.
- Sending sensitive data
- Creating a bookmark for the entire form
Furthermore, the two methods differ in their anatomy, which becomes clear in the following illustrations:
