I understand (I think) the basic idea behind RESTful-ness. Use HTTP methods semantically - GET gets, PUT puts, DELETE deletes, etc... Right? thought I understood the idea behind REST, but I think I'm confusing that with the details of an HTTP implementation. What is the driving idea behind rest, why is this becoming an important thing? Have people actually been using it for a long time, in a corner of the internets that my flashlight never shined upon?
Overview. A REST API (also known as RESTful API) is an application programming interface (API or web API) that conforms to the constraints of REST architectural style and allows for interaction with RESTful web services. REST stands for representational state transfer and was created by computer scientist Roy Fielding.
A REST API (also called a “RESTful” API) is a specific type of API that follows these guidelines. REST stands for Representational State Transfer. This means that when a client requests a resource using a REST API, the server transfers back the current state of the resource in a standardized representation.
REST is a client-service architecture that is based on a request/response design. REST APIs have become increasingly popular as part of a Web Services approach. Developers use RESTful APIs to perform requests and receive responses through HTTP functions.
Definition: Representational State Transfer (REST) is an architectural style of large-scale networked software that takes advantage of the technologies and protocols of the World Wide Web.
This is what REST might look like:
POST /user fname=John&lname=Doe&age=25
The server responds:
201 Created Location: /user/123
In the future, you can then retrieve the user information:
GET /user/123
The server responds (assuming an XML response):
200 OK <user><fname>John</fname><lname>Doe</lname><age>25</age></user>
To update:
PUT /user/123 fname=Johnny
If you love us? You can donate to us via Paypal or buy me a coffee so we can maintain and grow! Thank you!
Donate Us With