REST API responses when deleting records

[NotionCommotion]

I have the following tables:

• department
  • id
• course
  • id
  • department_id CASCADE DELETE
• student
  • id
• student_courses
  • course_id CASCADE DELETE
  • student_id CASCADE DELETE

I also have the following REST API endpoints:

• DELETE department/123 (deletes targeted department and associated courses as well as the list of students in the course)
• DELETE course/321 (deletes targeted course as well as the list of students in the course)
• DELETE student/111 (deletes targeted student as well as the list of students in the course)

The user should be informed before deleting a given record if that record will affect other tables.  For instance, if deleting a department which has some courses or deleting a student which belows to a course.

One option is to respond to DELETE department/123 with 400 {recordUsed: {courses:[bla, bla], student_courses:[bla, bla]}} if used.  For this option, the client would then prompt the user of the implications and if desired repeat the request but include a "force" parameter of TRUE in the request which will delete the record regardless of being used.

Another option is to add some new endpoints which will return the resources which are associated with the to be deleted entity.  If empty, a DELETE request would automatically be made and if not empty the user will first be prompted whether the DELETE request should be made and the server would delete the record(s) regardless of being used.

• GET department/utilized/123
• GET course/utilized/321
• GET student/utilized/111

Any thoughts on which approach should be used?  Or maybe some other strategy?  Thanks

[requinix]

Informing the user about the delete is the app's responsibility, not yours. If you want to provide an endpoint that lists "child" resources then you can do that, but otherwise once that DELETE comes in don't try to second-guess it.