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What is RESTful API?
A RESTful API is a software interface that allows you to GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE data via HTTP queries. It’s built on RESTful technology, an architectural style, and a communication strategy that’s common in web services development. The code that allows two software applications to connect is known as an API for a website.
REST can be thought of as the internet’s language, and it’s utilized by browsers. For creating APIs that allow users to connect to and interact with cloud services, REST is a reasonable choice. Because connecting to a service via an API is only a question of manipulating how the URL is encoded, the RESTful approach is also useful in cloud services.
When to use REST?
1. Limited bandwidth and resources
Because SOAP messages include a lot of content and take up a lot of data, REST should be utilized when network capacity is a problem.
2. Ease of coding is a requirement
The coding and implementation of a REST service are easier than that of a SOAP service. If you need a quick web service solution, REST is the way to go.
3. Cache
If you require a cache and you’re dealing with a lot of queries, REST is recommended. The number of queries made to the server rises as a result of this. The most frequently asked queries are kept in an interim solution after implementing a cache. The first cache is checked whenever the client requests a resource. It will not go to the server if there are resources available. Caching might help you cut down on your travel time.
Advantages of RESTful APIs
1. Easy to integrate
A decent RESTful API may be found from the very first URI. This isn’t to say that each application that uses your service will know what to do automatically. It does, however, make things easier for the developer who is attempting to connect your API.
2. Use of HTTP
The usage of ubiquitous standards is another characteristic for ease of integration that has to do with REST over HTTP (THE most popular implementation of REST). Speaking of HTTP, the web’s protocol, and outputting JSON or ATOMPub means finding a library that can connect to you in any language and the platform is much easier.
3. Scalability
Stateless communication and a replicated repository provide a high level of scalability. With REST APIs, scaling up an existing website is easier when it is compared with something like SOAP.
4. Independence
Because of the separation between client and server, the REST protocol allows for autonomous development across several sections of a project. Furthermore, the REST API is adaptable to operational syntax and platform. This allows testing in a variety of contexts throughout development.
5. Uniform Interface
When creating a REST API, developers agree to follow the same standards. Hence, the output is a consistent interface across all APIs. This interface functions as a contract between the client and the service, and it is shared by all REST APIs. How is this useful? When developers utilize APIs, they require global ideas to ensure that they can communicate with one another.
6. Layered System
Every REST-enabled component has no access to components other than the one with whom it is communicating. This means, that a client who connects to an intermediary component does not know with whom that component will engage later. This encourages developers to design separate components that are easy to upgrade.
