JAX-RS - @DELETE Example

This example shows how to handle HTTP method DELETE request by using @DELETE annotation.

Example

Creating Resource

@Path("/orders")
@Produces({MediaType.APPLICATION_XML, MediaType.TEXT_PLAIN})
public class OrderResource {

  @GET
  public Collection<Order> getOrders() {
      return OrderService.Instance.getAllOrders();
  }

  @DELETE
  @Path("{id}")
  public boolean deleteOrderById(@PathParam("id") int id) {
      return OrderService.Instance.deleteOrderById(id);
  }

  @GET
  @Path("{id}")
  public Order getOrderById(@PathParam("id") int id) {
      return OrderService.Instance.getOrderById(id);
  }
}

mvn tomcat7:run-war

Note that above resource methods define the same URI path, /orders/{id}, for @GET and @DELETE. In fact the same URI should be used for @PUT too. Per Restful API conventions, a URI path should never reflect an action like delete or get or create. A Restful URI should be like a resource. For different actions, we need to use HTTP method designator annotations, just like we used @DELETE and @GET in above example.

Writing Client

To test above resource methods, let's write JAX-RS clients.

public class ClientAllOrders {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
      Client client = ClientBuilder.newClient();

      //get all  orders
      WebTarget allOrderTarget =
              client.target("http://localhost:8080/orders");

      Response response = allOrderTarget.request().get();
      List<Order> orders = response.readEntity(new GenericType<List<Order>>() {
      });
      orders.forEach(System.out::println);
  }
}

Output

Order{id=1, item='item 1', qty=52, orderDate=Tue Oct 21 12:42:29 CST 2025}
Order{id=2, item='item 2', qty=27, orderDate=Mon Oct 20 12:42:29 CST 2025}
Order{id=3, item='item 3', qty=84, orderDate=Sun Oct 19 12:42:29 CST 2025}
Order{id=4, item='item 4', qty=31, orderDate=Sat Oct 18 12:42:29 CST 2025}
Order{id=5, item='item 5', qty=19, orderDate=Fri Oct 17 12:42:29 CST 2025}

Following client sends delete requests:

public class ClientDeleteById {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
      Client client = ClientBuilder.newClient();

      //delete multiple orders
      for (Integer orderIdToDelete : Arrays.asList(2, 4)) {
          WebTarget OrderByIdTarget =
                  client.target("http://localhost:8080/orders/" + orderIdToDelete);
          boolean response = OrderByIdTarget.request().delete(Boolean.class);
          System.out.println(response);
      }
  }
}

Output

true
true

Run ClientAllOrders class again:

Output

Order{id=1, item='item 1', qty=52, orderDate=Tue Oct 21 12:42:29 CST 2025}
Order{id=3, item='item 3', qty=84, orderDate=Sun Oct 19 12:42:29 CST 2025}
Order{id=5, item='item 5', qty=19, orderDate=Fri Oct 17 12:42:29 CST 2025}

Example Project

Dependencies and Technologies Used:

• jersey-server 2.25.1 (Jersey core server implementation)
  
• jersey-container-servlet 2.25.1 (Jersey core Servlet 3.x implementation)
  
• JDK 1.8
• Maven 3.3.9