What is an API?
- API stands for "Application Programming Interface"
- Contract provided by one piece of software to another
- Structured request and response
What is REST?
- REST stands for "Representational State Transfer"
- Architectural style for designing networked applications
- Relies on a stateless, client-server protocol, almost always HTTP
- Treats server objects as resources that can be created or destroyed
- Can be used by virtually any programming language
- All APIs have their own rules and structure
Types of Requests
- GET: Retrieve data from a specified resource
- POST: Submit data to be process to a specified resource
- PUT: Update a specified resource
- DELETE: Delete a specified resource
- HEAD: Same as get but does not return a body (only returns header)
- OPTIONS: Returns the supported HTTP methods
- PATCH: Update partial resources (similar to PUT)
API Endpoints
Endpoints are URLs that you can access to do certain things:
| Method | URL | Function |
|---|---|---|
| GET | https://website.com/api/users | Get all users |
| GET | https://website.com/api/users/1 | Get single user |
| POST | https://website.com/api/users | Add user |
| PUT | https://website.com/api/users/1 | Update user |
| DELETE | https://website.com/api/users/1 | Delete user |
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