PHP webservice dilemma

Question

I need to create a web service for my site, this web service will allow all registered users to access all their data saved from the system.

I have different types of data like documents (txt format), excel sheets (csv), etc...

Now I read tons of articles regarding how to build a web service and I found these different options:

1. WSDL
2. REST
3. SOAP
4. HTTP based APIs

I saw that SOAP and WSDL are complicated, but it's used a lot, REST and HTTP based very simple, but less people use it.

Should my web service be more easy to the user? or the developer? or should I develop both?

Answer 1

You just summed up several types of related techniques.

In general it all depends on your audience / software which accesses your content what's important.

should my webservice be more easy to the user? or the developer? or should i develop both?

Always more easy for your users. You have built the webservice for the users and not the developers right?

The only thing you have to take into account is:

is it worth it?

And the only one who can answer that is yourself.

Answer 2

There is no right or wrong here. Just build the API that you would want to use.

Even better, find out what your actual users prefer.