Defining methods (also known as actions) in a controller is to tell the application what to do when someone visits a specific URL. These methods usually process requests, process data, and return responses such as HTML pages or JSON. Understanding the basic structure: Most web frameworks (such as Ruby on Rails, Laravel, or Spring MVC) use controllers to group related operations. Methods within each controller usually correspond to a route, i.e. the URL path that someone can access. For example, there may be the following methods in PostsController: 1. index() – display post list; 2. show() – display individual posts; 3. create() – handle creating new posts; 4. update() – update existing posts; 5. delete() – delete posts. These are standard CRUD operations, but you can define whatever operations you want. Naming and routing conventions vary from framework to framework, but there are common patterns: 1. Ruby on Rails: define public methods in controller classes, map routing through config/routes.rb; 2. Laravel (PHP): The controller method is a public function, routed through web.php or API; 3. Spring Boot (Java): The method is annotated with @RequestMapping or specific HTTP annotations such as @GetMapping. The following steps are usually performed inside the method: get request input (such as parameter or form data), communicate with the model or service to obtain or modify the data, and return a response (such as rendering a view, sending a JSON, or redirecting). A few points to note: Make sure the method is public, use consistent naming for maintenance, always clean and verify input from the user before use, and avoid side effects in GET requests.
In a controller, defining methods (also called actions) is how you tell your app what to do when someone visits a specific URL. These methods usually handle requests, process data, and return responses like HTML pages or JSON.
Understand the Basic Structure
Most web frameworks (like Ruby on Rails, Laravel, or Spring MVC) use controllers to group related actions. Each method inside a controller typically corresponds to a route — that is, a URL path someone can visit.
For example, in a PostsController , you might have methods like:
-
index()– shows a list of posts -
show()– displays one post -
create()– handles creating a new post -
update()– updates an existing post -
delete()– deletes a post
These are standard CRUD operations, but you can define any action you need.
Naming and Routing Conventions
How you name and connect your methods depends on the framework, but there are common patterns:
-
Ruby on Rails :
You define public methods in your controller class. Routes are usually mapped viaconfig/routes.rb. For example:class PostsController < ApplicationController def index @posts = Post.all end def show @post = Post.find(params[:id]) end end Laravel (PHP) :
Controller methods are public functions. You link them using routes inweb.phpor API routes.class PostController extends Controller { public function index() { return Post::all(); } public function show($id) { return Post::find($id); } }Spring Boot (Java) :
Methods are annotated with@RequestMappingor HTTP-specific annotations like@GetMapping.@RestController public class PostController { @GetMapping("/posts") public List<Post> index() { return postRepository.findAll(); } @GetMapping("/posts/{id}") public Post show(@PathVariable Long id) { return postRepository.findById(id); } }
The main idea is: each method responds to a specific request and returns something — often HTML, JSON, or a redirect.
What Goes Inside a Method?
A controller method usually does a few things:
- Gets input from the request (like parameters or form data)
- Talks to a model or service to fetch or modify data
- Returns a response — like rendering a view, sending JSON, or redirecting
Here's a simplified flow:
- User goes to
/posts/5 - The router directs this to
PostsController#show - The method grabs
5from the URL - It fetches the post with ID 5 from the database
- Then it renders the post in HTML or returns it as JSON
Don't put too much logic directly in the controller — keep it clean by offloading work to models or services.
A Few Things to Watch Out For
- Make sure your methods are public — private or protected ones won't be reachable via routes.
- Use consistent naming for easier maintenance.
- Always sanitize and validate input before using it — especially if it comes from users.
- Be careful with side effects — like modifying data in
GETrequests. That's usually a bad idea.
Basically that's it.
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