HTTP methods play a crucial role in designing and developing RESTful APIs. They provide a standardized way to interact with resources and perform various actions on them. Let's take a closer look at the four main HTTP methods used in RESTful APIs:

• GET: The GET method is used to retrieve information from a resource. For example, when you visit a website or request data from an API, you are likely using the GET method. It is safe, meaning it should not modify any data on the server.

• POST: The POST method is used to create new resources. When you submit a form on a web page, the data is often sent using the POST method to create a new record. It is not idempotent since repeated identical requests may result in multiple resource creations.

• PUT: The PUT method is used to update existing resources. By sending a PUT request to a specific resource, you can modify its properties or replace the entire resource with new data. It is idempotent, meaning that sending the same request multiple times will have the same effect as sending it once.

• DELETE: The DELETE method is used to remove resources from a server. When you want to delete a record in a database or remove a file from a web server, you can do it with a DELETE request. It is also idempotent since subsequent requests will not change the outcome once the resource is deleted.

These HTTP methods form the foundation of RESTful API development, allowing you to perform various operations on resources with ease.