REST is not a protocol or a standard, but rather a collection of architectural limitations. REST can be implemented in a variety of ways by API developers. When a customer makes a request over a RESTful API. It sends a representation of the resource’s current status to the requester or endpoint. The data is sent through HTTP in one of several formats: JSON (Javascript Object Notation), HTMP, XLT, Python, PHP, and plain text. JSON is the most popular file since it can be read by both people and machines.
To be termed RESTful, an API must meet the following requirements:
- Clients, servers, and resources make comprise a client-server architecture, with HTTP requests managing requests.
- Client-server communication that is stateless means that no client information is stored between get requests and that each request is distinct and unrelated.
- Cacheable data that streamlines client-server interactions.
- A standard interface between components that allows information to be exchanged in a consistent fashion.
- The retrieval of requested information into hierarchies, which are invisible to the client, is part of a tiered system that organizes each type of server (those responsible for security, load-balancing, and so on).
To summarize, REST is a set of standards that can be implemented as needed to make REST APIs faster, lighter, and more scalable. It’s ideal for IoT (internet of things) and mobile app development.