Welcome! Today we'll explore REST APIs. REST API stands for Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface. It's a fundamental technology that enables different software applications to communicate with each other over the internet using standard HTTP protocols.
REST is built on six fundamental principles. First, it's stateless, meaning each request contains all necessary information. Second, it follows a client-server architecture with clear separation of concerns. Third, responses are cacheable to improve performance. Fourth, it uses a uniform interface with standard HTTP methods. Fifth, it supports layered systems for scalability. Finally, it optionally allows code on demand for enhanced functionality.
REST APIs use four main HTTP methods that correspond to CRUD operations. GET retrieves data from the server for reading. POST creates new resources on the server. PUT updates existing resources with new data. DELETE removes resources from the server. These methods provide a standardized way to interact with web services and manipulate data.
Let's see a practical REST API example. Consider a user management system with the URL /api/users/123. A GET request to this endpoint retrieves user data with ID 123. A PUT request updates that user's information. A DELETE request removes the user from the system. The server processes these requests and returns appropriate responses, typically in JSON format.
REST APIs provide numerous benefits for modern web development. They are simple to understand and implement, making them accessible to developers. They scale well to handle increasing traffic and user demands. REST APIs are flexible, working with any programming language or platform. Being stateless, they don't require server-side session storage, improving reliability. They support caching for better performance and are universally compatible across different systems and devices.