Understanding REST APIs: The Backbone of Modern Web Development

What is a REST API?

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style used to design networked applications. A REST API (or RESTful API) uses HTTP requests to perform actions like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE on resources.

Key Concepts:

• Resources: These are the data objects (like users, products, orders).


• HTTP Methods:

1. GET: Retrieve data


2. POST: Create data


3. PUT: Update data


4. DELETE: Remove data

• Stateless: Each request is independent and must contain all necessary data.

Why Use REST APIs?

• Easy to use and test with tools like Postman


• Works across different platforms (web, mobile, desktop)


• Makes backend/frontend separation cleaner

Example:

http

GET /api/products/42

This might return the product with ID 42 in JSON format.

Best Practices:

• Use nouns for endpoints: /users, not /getUser


• Keep URLs simple and intuitive


• Use proper HTTP status codes (200 OK, 404 Not Found, etc.)