RESTful APIs
RESTful APIs (Representational State Transfer APIs) are a set of architectural principles for designing networked applications, using HTTP methods to perform operations on resources identified by URLs. They enable communication between client and server systems in a stateless, cacheable, and uniform manner, typically exchanging data in formats like JSON or XML. This approach is widely used for building scalable web services and enabling interoperability between different software components.
Developers should learn RESTful APIs when building web services, mobile backends, or microservices that require standardized, platform-independent communication over HTTP. They are essential for creating public-facing APIs, integrating third-party services, or developing single-page applications (SPAs) that interact with servers, as they simplify client-server interactions and improve scalability. Use cases include e-commerce platforms, social media integrations, and IoT device management.