REST API and RESTFUL web service – connected together to give flawless network connections between client and servers. Moreover the modern day website uses both of these term to built a website.
RESTFUL web service
Its a types of web services. It improves the relationship between client and server. Moreover RESTFUL stands for “REpresentation State Transfer”.
Its design principle. In addition to that, its language independent. It sends a response to client in different file format like xml, json, html, and image.
Its a stateless, light weight protocol. Nowadays its highly used in web, since it has easy data fetching methods. It has a unique features like Uniform Interface etc.
REST API
A RESTFUL API also known as RESTFUL API that conforms the constrains of RESTFUL web services and have interaction with it, which results in successful fetching of data.
In simple words, if you want to interact with computer to retrieve the response or perform particular functions. An API helps to communicate with server and fulfill the request.
As its abbreviation suggests, its a state transfer not a entire resource. Moreover any required data from a server can share to client in any forms.
The request consist of url, http methods and parameter. This url helps to find the server’s website. Then it uses HTTP methods like GET, POST, DELETE, PUT along with it parameter specific id of resource send along with it.
While response from server of API consist of resource which the user request. As it comes back in many format to client. If the resource isn’t find the resource it give 404 page not found page.
Advantages of REST API
It found from very first URL. So this makes the developer to connect with API easily. In addition to that, automation takes place effortless so there’s no need for manual testing.
This specifically use the HTTP methods to access the web resource. It helps to perform CRUD options in user’s request. Along with it, it also shows the status code incase of any issues.
Stateless, connectionless and replicated repository provides high level of scalability to websites. With REST API scaling up an existing site is easier.
