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Altaf Shaikh

BE Engg | Python Dev | Content Writer | Founder of TeachMeBro | Blockchain Dev | Django

What is Rest API?

January 24th 2021

What is Rest API?
What is Rest API?

Let’s say you’re trying to find videos about Batman on Youtube. You open up Youtube, type “Batman” into a search field, hit enter, and you see a list of videos about Batman. A REST API works in a similar way. You search for something, and you get a list of results back from the service you’re requesting from.

An API is an application programming interface. It is a set of rules that allow programs to talk to each other. The developer creates the API on the server and allows the client to talk to it.

REST determines how the API looks like. It stands for “Representational State Transfer”. It is a set of rules that developers follow when they create their API. One of these rules states that you should be able to get a piece of data (called a resource) when you link to a specific URL.

Each URL is called a request while the data sent back to you is called a response.

The Anatomy Of A Request

It’s important to know that a request is made up of four things:

  • The endpoint
  • The method
  • The headers
  • The data (or body)

The endpoint (or route) is the url you request for. It follows this structure:

 root-endpoint/?

The root-endpoint is the starting point of the API you’re requesting from. The root-endpoint of Github’s API is https://api.github.com while the root-endpoint Twitter’s API is https://api.twitter.com.

The path determines the resource you’re requesting for. Think of it like an automatic answering machine that asks you to press 1 for a service, press 2 for another service, 3 for yet another service and so on.

The Method

The method is the type of request you send to the server. You can choose from these five types below:

  • GET
  • POST
  • PUT
  • PATCH
  • DELETE

These methods provide meaning for the request you’re making. They are used to perform four possible actions: Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD).

Method Name

Request Meaning

GET

This request is used to get a resource from a server. If you perform a `GET` request, the server looks for the data you requested and sends it back to you. In other words, a `GET` request performs a `READ` operation. This is the default request method.

POST

This request is used to create a new resource on a server. If you perform a `POST` request, the server creates a new entry in the database and tells you whether the creation is successful. In other words, a `POST` request performs an `CREATE` operation.

PUT and PATCH

These two requests are used to update a resource on a server. If you perform a `PUT` or `PATCH` request, the server updates an entry in the database and tells you whether the update is successful. In other words, a `PUT` or `PATCH` request performs an `UPDATE` operation.

DELETE  

This request is used to delete a resource from a server. If you perform a `DELETE` request, the server deletes an entry in the database and tells you whether the deletion is successful. In other words, a `DELETE` request performs a `DELETE` operation.