REST
An architectural style for HTTP APIs — resources at URLs, manipulated via standard methods like GET and POST.
Definition
Representational State Transfer is the dominant style for HTTP APIs. Each resource has a URL (/users/42), and standard HTTP methods perform the operations: GET to read, POST to create, PUT/PATCH to update, DELETE to remove. JSON is the conventional payload format. REST contrasts with RPC (action-centric) and GraphQL (query-centric).
When to use
See also
- CRUD — Create, Read, Update, Delete — the four basic operations every persistent-data API exposes.
- API — A formal contract that lets one software system call functions or fetch data from another, usually over HTTP.
- RPC — Remote Procedure Call — a calling convention where invoking a remote function looks like a local call.