REST APIs & JSON
REST APIs (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces) are web services that allow different software systems to communicate over the internet using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data format commonly used to exchange information between a client and server in REST APIs. Together, they enable efficient, platform-independent data sharing and integration across diverse applications.
REST APIs & JSON
REST APIs (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces) are web services that allow different software systems to communicate over the internet using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data format commonly used to exchange information between a client and server in REST APIs. Together, they enable efficient, platform-independent data sharing and integration across diverse applications.
💡 Key Takeaways
- Understand the purpose of REST APIs and how they enable software systems to communicate over HTTP.
- Learn the common HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and their typical use cases.
- Understand JSON as a lightweight data format used for REST payloads.
- Recognize the stateless nature of REST and how each request includes all required information (endpoint, headers, body).
- Identify how resources are addressed via URLs and how HTTP status codes indicate success or errors.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is a REST API?
A REST API is a web service that lets software systems communicate over HTTP, using standard methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to access resources identified by URLs and exchange data in representations such as JSON.
What is JSON and why is it used in REST APIs?
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data format that is easy to read and parse. REST APIs commonly use JSON to represent resources in requests and responses.
Which HTTP methods are commonly used in REST and what do they do?
GET retrieves data, POST creates new data, PUT updates or replaces data, DELETE removes data. (PATCH is used for partial updates.)
How are resources identified in a REST API?
Resources are identified by URLs (endpoints) like /users/123; the HTTP method determines the action performed on that resource.