API, REST, and RESTful API Simplified.

What is API?

APIs are interface programs that lets the components of two or more different applications, that are not fully integrated with each other, to interact with with one another.

What is REST

REST is a method (a software architectural style) of building and using programs, i.e. APIs, that can effectively communicate with other applications.

What does REST do?

Rest standardizes how APIs and applications function. While every application is different, using REST to guide developement makes certain aspects of the design more predictable.

Rest uses HTTP requests like GET, PUT, POST and DELETE to manage CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and DELETE) operations.

What is RESTful?

While REST is a set of constraints, RESTful is an API that adheres to those constraints.

Conclusion

A RESTful API (popularly referred to as RESTAPI is an API that conforms to the constraints of REST architectural style and allows for interaction with other RESTful services.

Reference / Deep Diving

• https://devmountain.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-rest-and-restful-apis/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20set%20of,is%20the%20set%20of%20constraints.

• https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/api/what-is-a-rest-api

• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/know-the-difference-between-rest-api-and-restful-api/

• https://www.integrate.io/blog/what-is-a-mysql-rest-api/

Acknowledgement

Dev P Academy

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