HTTP DELETE traditionally does not support request bodies, but some APIs require it. However, we can send a DELETE request with a body by using HttpEntity in Spring RestTemplate.
To send a DELETE request with a body via Spring RestTemplate, create a HttpHeaders object specifying the necessary headers for the request as well as an HttpEntity that contains both the headers and the request body.
Apache HttpClient is another Java library for making HTTP requests. While Apache HttpClient does not natively provide support for HTTP DELETE with a request body, you can define a custom HTTP DELETE method (e.g., HttpDeleteWithBody) and specify its method as DELETE.
Compared to Spring RestTemplate, Apache HttpClient requires more configuration and coding effort to use but provides more control over the HTTP request and response details.
Spring RestTemplate is ideal for simple, quick integrations with RESTful APIs in Spring applications, while Apache HttpClient is ideal for advanced features such as custom authentication or managing connection pooling.
While it is possible to send a DELETE request with a body, it's important to note that not all servers or APIs may accept this type of request. Referring to the API documentation before implementing it in production is critical.
This article outlines how to send HTTP DELETE requests with a body in Java using both Spring RestTemplate and Apache HttpClient.
This article also compares the two libraries in terms of ease of use, flexibility, built-in features, and more to help you choose the best option for your specific use case.
Lastly, the article concludes with a reminder to always review the API documentation before sending a DELETE request with a body.
Spring provides flexibility for sending HTTP requests with custom headers and a body, even for methods like DELETE that do not traditionally support a request body, using RestTemplate.