REST

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications, particularly web services, that uses standard HTTP methods and stateless communication. It defines constraints such as client-server separation, uniform interfaces, and resource-based interactions to enable scalable and interoperable systems. RESTful APIs expose resources as URLs and use HTTP verbs like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to perform operations on them.

Also known as: RESTful, REST API, HTTP REST, RESTful API, Representational State Transfer

Why learn REST?

Developers should learn REST when building web APIs or microservices, as it provides a standardized, scalable approach for client-server communication over HTTP. It is widely used in modern web development, mobile app backends, and cloud services due to its simplicity, statelessness, and compatibility with existing web infrastructure. REST is ideal for scenarios requiring interoperability, such as public APIs, integration with third-party services, or distributed systems.

Learning Resources

• docs: MDN Web Docs: REST
• tutorial: REST API Tutorial
• docs: Roy Fielding's Dissertation (Chapter 5)
• tutorial: freeCodeCamp: REST API Crash Course