πŸ“š Protocol Guide

RESTful API

RESTful API refers to interfaces built around the REST style put forward by Roy Fielding. Its heart is resource orientation: each piece of data is a resource reached through a URI, and each HTTP method communicates a clear intent. That straightforward model is why REST dominates modern web integration.

REST Design Tenets

  • Statelessness: Every request carries its own full context; no sessions are kept server-side.
  • Decoupled roles: Client presentation and server logic stay independent.
  • Standard actions: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE express all CRUD behavior.
  • Cacheability: Content marked cacheable improves responsiveness.
  • Layered systems: Scalability improves when intermediaries are allowed.

HTTP Verbs

  • GET: Fetch a resource; harmless and repeatable.
  • POST: Create a resource or trigger a data-driven action.
  • PUT: Replace a resource entirely.
  • DELETE: Remove a resource.
  • PATCH: Make a targeted partial update.

URL Design

Keep verbs out of URLs β€” methods carry that meaning. Resources use nouns, and IDs locate single items inside collections. A books example:

  • GET /books: Fetch all books.
  • GET /books/{id}: Fetch one book.
  • POST /books: Create a book.
  • PUT /books/{id}: Update one book fully.
  • DELETE /books/{id}: Delete one book.

Response Status Codes

REST APIs signal results using standard status codes:

  • 200 OK: Request processed and data returned.
  • 201 Created: New resource made.
  • 204 No Content: Processed without a body.
  • 400 Bad Request: Input could not be processed.
  • 401 Unauthorized: Access not permitted.
  • 404 Not Found: Resource missing.
  • 500 Internal Server Error: Server-side failure.

Summary

Simple rules, universal standards, and familiar HTTP semantics make RESTful APIs easy to adopt and hard to outgrow, fitting projects from minimal prototypes to enterprise architectures.

Next: Shadowsocks β†’