REST

API

An API is a set of definitions and protocols for building, integrating, and accessing web services. It can be said as a contract between information providers and information users. APIs help you communicate or interact with a computer or system to extract information or perform a function most straightforwardly. It acts as a mediator between users or clients and resources or web services.

It is also a way for an organization to share information and resources without compromising security, confidentiality, control, and authentication.

Resource Representation

The state of the resource, at any given point, is Resource Representation. It comprises any piece of information known as Data; a description of that information known as Metadata; and the links that can help clients transit to the desired state known as Hypermedia links.

REST API

REST API is a programming interface based on the constraints of the REST architectural style. A standardized way to create loose coupling among web resources is provided by RESTful API. These loosely coupled resources are not connected rigidly and are flexible to changes in the networks, servers, and other infrastructure components. Your request may or may not be answered immediately until the service is available to address it.

Working on REST API

From the above diagram, it is clear that REST API works in a Client-Server pattern. When a client request is made, a representation of a resource is transferred to the endpoint or requester. JSON, JavaScript Object Notation, is the most commonly used file format nowadays. This is because JSON is language-agnostic and is readable by both humans and machines.

Resource Methods

The five common methods used in REST architectural style are mentioned below. All methods correspond to different operations such as read, create, update, modify, and delete. OPTIONS and HEAD are some other methods that are not used very often.

Advantages of REST

REST has many advantages. Some of the prominent ones are-

• LESS BANDWIDTH: REST uses less bandwidth, making it faster and more lightweight.
• ADAPTION TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES: REST is perfect for IoT (Internet of Things) applications and mobile app development.
• FRIENDLY STYLE: REST is very simple to use and flexible, making it more scalable.
• INTERNET SUITABILITY: It is suitable for Internet usage and ideal for serverless computing.

FAQs

What is URI?

The term ‘URI’ stands for Uniform Resource Identifier. It is used to identify each resource of the REST architecture. Basically, there are two types of URI- URN and URL. URN stands for Uniform Resource Name, and URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator.

What are the most commonly used HTTP status codes?

Some most commonly used HTTP status codes are mentioned below in the table.

What are the disadvantages of RESTful web services?

The disadvantages are:

• As the REST technology follows Statelessness's principle, it is not possible to maintain sessions.
• REST inherits the security measures of protocols implementing it. That is, it does not have any security restrictions of its own.

Differentiate between SOAP and REST.

The differences are mentioned in the table below.

Conclusion

In this article, we gained insights on REST, its methods, and its advantages in detail. To know more about Big Data, Hadoop and Databases, click on the links. For more such topics, visit Coding Ninjas. We hope this blog helped you enhance your knowledge regarding REST APIs and related stuff. 

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