REST API, Stateless, and Stateful Backend, Postman

Old architecture

New architecture

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and tools that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. It defines the methods and data structures that applications use to request and exchange information. APIs are essential in software development because they enable the integration of different systems, allowing them to work together seamlessly.

A REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and conventions for building and interacting with web services. REST APIs are designed to use standard HTTP methods, making them simple, stateless, and scalable.

Data

https://server.clickswarnendu123.workers.dev/day-1

Resources and URIs:

• Resources: Objects or entities that the API manages, such as users, posts, or products.
• URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers): URLs that identify these resources. For example, /users might represent a collection of users.

HTTP Methods:

• GET: Retrieve data from the server.
• POST: Submit data to the server to create a new resource.
• PUT: Update an existing resource.
• DELETE: Remove a resource.
• PATCH: Partially update a resource.

Statelessness:

• Each request from a client to the server must contain all the information needed to understand and process the request. The server does not store any state about the client session.

Representation:

• Resources can be represented in various formats, such as JSON, XML, or HTML. JSON is the most commonly used format.

Endpoints:

Specific paths in the API where different operations can be performed on resources. For example:

• GET /users - Retrieve a list of users.
• GET /users/123 - Retrieve a specific user by ID.
• POST /users - Create a new user.
• PUT /users/123 - Update a specific user by ID.
• DELETE /users/123 - Delete a specific user by ID.

HTTP Status Codes:

Standard codes used to indicate the result of an API request, such as:

• 200 OK - The request was successful.
• 201 Created - A new resource was successfully created.
• 400 Bad Request - The request was invalid.
• 401 Unauthorized - Authentication is required.
• 404 Not Found - The requested resource was not found.
• 500 Internal Server Error - A server error occurred.

Postman

Postman is a popular collaboration platform for API development. It simplifies the process of creating, testing, and documenting APIs, making it easier for developers to build and manage APIs effectively. Here are some of its key features and functionalities: