The word “API” refers to a software interface that permits data interchange and communication between two applications.
But what precisely is the distinction between REST APIs and other APIs?
The design tenets of the REST (Representational State Transfer) software architecture are followed by REST APIs.
In REST design, there are six guiding principles. These are described below as architectural restrictions.
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Consistent interface
There are four interfaces used to maintain uniformity and simplify the overall architecture. These are:
- Identification of the resource
- management of resources via representations
- messages that define themselves
- Hypermedia as the application state’s driving force
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customer and server decoupling
The separation and independence of two or more entities are referred to as decoupling.
We improve the portability of the user interface and the scalability of the server components by isolating the user interface from data storage. -
Decentralized
Since REST APIs are stateless, servers should not keep any information about a request on file, and each request should include all the data required to perform it completely.
Each API request that is performed is separate from the others. -
System architecture with layers
Between the client and end server, there are various connecting parts. Neither is aware of whether they are speaking to one another directly.
Because no layer can communicate with another layer outside of itself, these layers increase flexibility and security. -
Cacheable
Data is only storable on the client side through cache due to statelessness.
Using HTTP Cache-Control headers, server replies must state whether the data supplied can be cached.
Performance on the client side is to be improved. -
On-demand code
This last restriction is optional, however, it allows executable code to be provided to the client in a server response rather than static resources as is customary.
Here, we want to increase system extensibility and client functionality.
