Benefits of using RESTful API

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RESTful or REST (Representational State Transfer) is a type of network application design architecture. REST API provides a system interface for efficient communication and information exchange.

Prominent applications such as Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify have adopted the REST architecture because of its simplicity, scalability, and interoperability.

To design these APIs, programmers need to adhere to REST principles. There are several benefits to using REST API.

Can be expanded

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The outstanding benefit of using REST APIs is that they are easily extensible. REST optimizes stateless client-server interactions to reduce server load.

Each query is processed independently, so the server does not store previously requested information. Standalone increases performance if you are working with multiple servers. The server side has a state that retains query information, increasing capacity and reducing performance.

In addition, REST APIs are flexible so developers can easily integrate them with other architectures. These features make REST a favorite for its seamless communication and significant increase in operational efficiency.

Unified interface

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Application and server may not be compatible because of the difference in technology. There is no standard communication protocol that can lead to differences in data exchange. The REST API has a unified interface that allows systems to communicate without regard to technology.

REST has instructions on how to handle client and server sessions. API design has a standard format, including how to format queries and responses. For example, a client can interact with an API resource using the HTTP method.

This server responds to a query with a resource in JSON or XML format. The unified interface ensures the conversion of information in a standard format.

Can cache

Cache or caching is an important aspect of the performance and scalability of modern applications. Caching is concerned with storing frequently accessed copies of data along with the corresponding query response path.

When a client makes a query, it first goes through the cache to check if the information is available. If so, the cache responds immediately without having to go to the server. This feature saves bandwidth and reduces page load time.

The stateless nature of REST is to make caching easier. This is one of the architectural constraints. REST caches the entire session, eliminating some client-server interactions. The server processes queries from the REST API independently, reducing the average response time.

Browsers usually cache GET queries so that not all queries have to go to the server. You can also configure Cache-Control and headers for POST and other queries.

Independent and modular

REST architecture completely separates client and server. Separation simplifies the interface and allows components to operate independently. The interface allows one-way communication between the client and the server. The client makes a query to the server, and the server responds. But the server cannot execute the query, nor can the client respond.

Separation is necessary because changes on the server side do not affect the client and vice versa. You can make changes to the database without affecting the application. Standalone adds flexibility and scalability to the application.

Use standard HTTP methods

RESTful API design allows communication between client and server. A group of HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE can do just that. A client uses these methods to access and add resources to the server in a stateless manner.

HTTP is a popular protocol that you probably already know. If you are used to it you will find it easier to use HTTP methods with REST API. The names of each method are self-explanatory.

The code below shows how to create a GET API endpoint using Python and Django:

@api_view(['GET']) def getFood(request):    food=Food.objects.all()    serializer=FoodSerializer(food, many=True)    return Response(serializer.data)

Above are the outstanding benefits of using RESTful API. Hope the article helps you better understand how to use RESTful API.

Micah Soto

Update 25 May 2023