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REST API Design

This week on my CS Journey I want to focus on REST API Design. In my last blog, I talked about how an API request works and how to be able to read the API documentation and use it effectively. In this blog, I will be emphasizing briefly the key constraints to REST API design. There are six important constraints to the design. Which are: Client-Server, Stateless, Cache, Uniform Interface, Layered System, and Code on Demand. Together, these make up the theory of REST.

Starting with client-server constraint is the concept that the client and the server should be separate from each other and allowed to evolve individually and independently. In other words, a developer should be able to make changes to an application whether on the data structure or the database design side at the same time it is not impacting the client server side. Next REST APIs are stateless, meaning that calls can be made independently, and each call contains all the data necessary to complete itself successfully. The other Constrain is Cache, since a stateless API can increase requests and handles large loads of calls, a REST API should be designed to encourage the storage of cacheable data. That means that when data is cacheable, the response should indicate that the data can be stored up to a certain time. 

The next constrain is Uniform Interface, having a uniform interface that allows the client to talk to the server in a single language. This interface should provide standardized communication between the client and the server, such as using HTTP with resources to CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete). Also, another constrain is a layered system. As the name implies, a layered system is a system comprised of layers, with each layer having a specific functionality and responsibility. In REST API design, the same principle holds, with different layers of the architecture working together to build a hierarchy that helps create an Application. Also, A layered system helps systems to increase flexibility and longevity and it allows you to stop attacks within other layers, preventing them from getting to your actual server architecture. Finally, the least known of the six constraints is Code on Demand which allows for code to be transmitted via the API for use within the application. Together, these constraints make up a design that operates similarly to how we access pages in our browsers on the World Wide Web.

Overall, I learned the most important aspects of REST API Design. The blog was certainly helpful to understand the key constraints very well. I have only mentioned the main important parts of it. I highly recommend everyone taking a look at the source below. 

Source: https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/api/what-is-rest-api-design

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