# REST API: DELETE /composition have response codes 409 Conflict though 412 Precondition Failed seems more appropriate

**Category:** [Specifications](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/specifications/6)
**Created:** 2026-02-10 16:03 UTC
**Views:** 18
**Replies:** 0
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/rest-api-delete-composition-have-response-codes-409-conflict-though-412-precondition-failed-seems-more-appropriate/11747

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## Post #1 by @pablo

Quick question: when the previous version of the object (e.g. COMPOSITION) is not the last, we have a 409 Conflict in the spec, though that doesn’t seems to be conflict but a precondition for the operation for deleting an object.

Does someone remember why we choose 409 Conflict over 412 Precondition Failed response code?

Thanks!

UPDATE: just verified that in REST 1.0.3 the PUT /composition does have 412, though it doesn’t seem to have a check that the uid_based_id if the prefix of the If-Match value, which IMHO would be a 400.

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/rest-api-delete-composition-have-response-codes-409-conflict-though-412-precondition-failed-seems-more-appropriate/11747
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/rest-api-delete-composition-have-response-codes-409-conflict-though-412-precondition-failed-seems-more-appropriate/11747