CRUD

CRUD is an acronym standing for Create, Read, Update, and Delete, representing the four basic operations for persistent storage in database management and software applications. The term is widely used in data management, software design, and API development to describe the fundamental manipulations of stored data. The concept originated in the 1970s as database systems and early software patterns emphasized basic data access operations; while the exact origin of the term is uncertain, it has become a standard shorthand in the field.

Mapping to SQL and other stores: In relational databases, Create maps to INSERT, Read to SELECT, Update to UPDATE, Delete to DELETE. NoSQL stores may implement these operations through their own query language, but the semantics remain similar. In RESTful web services, CRUD operations correspond to HTTP methods: POST for create, GET for read, PUT or PATCH for update, DELETE for delete. Applications often expose CRUD interfaces through repositories, DAOs, or service layers, and may implement access control and validation around each operation.

Limitations and variations: CRUD describes basic data manipulation but does not by itself model business behavior or data integrity constraints beyond what the database enforces. Overemphasis on CRUD can lead to an anemic domain model; real-world workflows may require additional operations and domain-specific actions, such as approval, archiving, versioning, or complex queries. In practice, developers extend CRUD with search, bulk operations, and transactional patterns; security and auditing are often implemented as cross-cutting concerns.