Resource-oriented URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) are a crucial aspect of REST API design and play a significant role in determining the overall design of the API.
A resource-oriented URI should be clear, concise, and consistent in representing a specific resource. For example, an API to manage users might have a URI such as /users/{id} to represent an individual user resource, where {id} is a placeholder for the user's unique identifier. This URI clarifies what the resource represents and how to access it.
The design of resource-oriented URIs is closely related to the Richardson Maturity Model, which is a model for understanding the maturity of RESTful systems. The model consists of four levels, each representing a higher level of maturity in REST API design.
Level 0: Resource-oriented URI At this level, the API has a basic REST understanding and uses resource-oriented URIs to represent resources.
Level 1: HTTP Verbs At this level, the API uses HTTP verbs (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) appropriately to represent different actions that can be performed on a resource.
Level 2: HATEOAS At this level, the API implements Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State (HATEOAS), meaning that the API returns representations that include links to related resources. This allows clients to navigate the API dynamically without prior knowledge of the API structure.
Level 3: Advanced Representations At this level, the API provides advanced representations of resources, including support for content negotiation and multiple formats.
In summary, resource-oriented URIs play a critical role in REST API design and are closely related to the maturity levels in the Richardson Maturity Model. By following best practices for resource-oriented URIs and using the HTTP verbs appropriately, you can design a REST API that is easy to use, scalable, and maintainable.
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