The distinction between "REST API" and "RESTful API" lies in their adherence to the principles of Representational State Transfer (REST) architectural style.
REST API: This term generally refers to any API that utilizes HTTP and incorporates some, but not necessarily all, of the principles of REST. It may use clear URLs for resources and standard HTTP methods, such as GET and POST, but it may not strictly adhere to all the constraints defined by the REST architectural style.
RESTful API: This term specifically denotes an API that fully conforms to all the constraints and principles of the REST architectural style.
Key principles of REST:
Client-Server: Separation of concerns between the client and server.
Stateless: Each request from the client to the server must contain all the information needed to understand the request, and the server must not store any client context between requests.
Cacheable: Responses must explicitly or implicitly indicate whether they are cacheable or non-cacheable to prevent clients from reusing stale or inappropriate data.
Uniform Interface: A standardized way for clients to interact with resources, including resource identification, resource manipulation through representations, self-descriptive messages, and Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State (HATEOAS).
Layered System: An architecture composed of hierarchical layers, where each layer can communicate only with its immediate neighbors.
Code on Demand (optional): Servers can temporarily extend or customize client functionality by transferring executable code.
In essence, while all RESTful APIs are a type of REST API, not all REST APIs are truly RESTful. A RESTful API is a specific implementation that rigorously adheres to the full set of REST constraints, ensuring greater consistency, scalability, and maintainability for large-scale web applications.
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