rest - How do you RESTfully Create and Delete at the Same Time? -

let's have trip planning application, , each trip composed of "path" resources (representing route driven, example) composed series of points. can crud these resources using requests (just example):

post /trips/1234/paths  <path>   <point>32,32</point>   <point>32,34</point>   <point>34,34</point> </path>  delete /trips/1234/paths/3 

now consider want able split path 2 paths. in aobve example, might want pick point (32,34) split on, result in 2 paths - 1 ends @ point, 1 starts @ point. means single action creates 2 new resources, , simultaneously, deletes (the path split).

so if path in example above path in system, , split single call, system contain 2 new paths , original gone. example:

<path>   <point>32,32</point>   <point>32,34</point> </path>  <path>   <point>32,34</point>   <point>34,34</point> </path> 

i'm struggling how handled restfully. how 1 handle calls result in multiple resources being created/modified/deleted , communicate caller?

i can figure out multiple calls (two posts create new paths , delete remove original), want single call.

i try implement @darrel miller's answer yet make little less rpcish. idea create pathsplit resource guides client each step of way complete transaction. way client knows result of each step , knows hows out if there error along way.

something should trick.

post /pathsplit http/1.1 content-type: application/vnd.acme.pathsplit+xml <pathsplit xmlns="http://schema.acme.com">   <path>     <id>123</id>   </path>   <splitpoint>       <point>32,34</point>   </splitpoint> </pathsplit>  => http/1.1 201 created content-type: application/vnd.acme.pathsplit+xml location:   http://acme.com/pathsplit/11  <pathsplit xmlns="http://schema.acme.com">   <path>     <id>123</id>   </path>   <splitpoint>       <point>32,34</point>   </splitpoint>   <newpaths>     <path>       <point>32,32</point>       <point>32,34</point>     </path>     <path>       <point>32,34</point>       <point>34,34</point>     </path>     <createuri>http://acme.org/trips/paths</createuri>   </newpaths>   <oldpath>     <uri>http://acme.org/trips/paths/123</uri>   </oldpath>     <status>in-progress</status>     <pathscreated>0</pathscreated> </pathsplit> 

with client can get pathsplit resource see actions take. in example create both new paths following createuri link , sending post request each new path in newpaths. server updates status each new resource created.

once status has pathscreated of 2, client can delete old path following uri , sending delete verb. finally, delete pathsplit resource, indicating succeeded.

at every step along way, in case of error, or in common case of network outage, client knows state server in , state transaction in.

the pathsplit resource remains available long transaction hasn't completed. client has option of reverting transaction has not yet completed. again, since knows operations have completed , haven't, can out transaction.