What is REST?
REST is an architectural style for designing web APIs using HTTP methods and resource-based URLs.
REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing web APIs. It's a set of principles for how web services should work, making APIs predictable and easy to use.
REST Principles:
- Stateless: Each request contains all information needed
- Resource-based: Everything is a resource (identified by URLs)
- HTTP methods: Use GET, POST, PUT, DELETE appropriately
- Uniform interface: Consistent way to interact with resources
RESTful API Design:
- GET /users: Retrieve list of users
- GET /users/123: Get user with ID 123
- POST /users: Create a new user
- PUT /users/123: Update user 123
- DELETE /users/123: Delete user 123
Why REST is Popular:
- Simple: Uses standard HTTP methods
- Stateless: Easy to scale horizontally
- Cacheable: Responses can be cached
- Standard: Works with any language or framework
REST vs Other Approaches:
- REST: Resource-based, uses HTTP methods
- GraphQL: Query-based, single endpoint
- RPC: Function-based, like calling methods
FAQ
Is REST the same as HTTP?
No. REST is an architectural style. HTTP is the protocol. RESTful APIs use HTTP, but not all HTTP APIs are RESTful.
Do I need to use REST?
REST is popular and well-understood, but GraphQL and RPC have their place. Choose based on your needs.