What are some examples of idempotent operations?

What are some examples of idempotent operations?

Idempotent operations are actions that can be performed multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application. For example, in HTTP methods, a GET request is idempotent because retrieving the same resource multiple times does not change its state.

Can you give me more examples in programming?

Sure! In programming, setting a variable to a specific value is idempotent. For instance, if you set a variable x = 5, doing it multiple times will always result in x being 5.

What about in database operations?

In databases, an example of an idempotent operation is the SQL command UPDATE users SET active = TRUE WHERE id = 1. Running this command multiple times will not change the state after the first execution.

Are there any non-idempotent operations?

Yes, a non-idempotent operation would be something like adding an item to a shopping cart. Each time you perform that action, the state changes as more items are added.