JSON Merge Patch
JSON Merge Patch is a standard (RFC 7396) that defines a format for applying partial updates to JSON documents using a merge operation. It allows clients to send only the fields they want to change in a JSON object, with the server merging this patch into the existing document. This is commonly used in RESTful APIs for efficient and partial updates without requiring the full resource representation.
Developers should use JSON Merge Patch when building or consuming APIs that need to support partial updates to resources, such as in web or mobile applications where bandwidth efficiency is important. It's particularly useful in scenarios like updating user profiles, modifying configuration settings, or patching database records, as it reduces payload size and simplifies client-side logic compared to sending entire objects.