Master RESTful API Design with Style

Your comprehensive resource for REST architectural patterns, API design principles, and modern web service development best practices.

Top 7 REST API Design Principles Every Developer Must Know

Stateless Communication: Each request must contain all information needed to understand and process it
Uniform Interface: Consistent resource identification through URIs and standard HTTP methods
Client-Server Architecture: Clear separation of concerns between client and server components
Cacheable Responses: Responses should be explicitly marked as cacheable or non-cacheable
Layered System: Architecture composed of hierarchical layers with each layer only knowing about immediate layers
Code on Demand (Optional): Servers can extend client functionality by transferring executable code
Resource-Based URLs: URLs should represent resources, not actions or operations

5 Essential HTTP Methods for RESTful Services

GET: Retrieve data from specified resources without side effects
POST: Create new resources or submit data for processing
PUT: Update existing resources or create if they don't exist
DELETE: Remove specified resources from the server
PATCH: Apply partial modifications to existing resources

Understanding these HTTP methods is crucial for building intuitive and predictable REST APIs. Each method has specific semantics and idempotency characteristics that affect how clients interact with your services.

REST vs GraphQL: 6 Key Differences You Should Consider

Data Fetching: REST uses multiple endpoints; GraphQL uses single endpoint with flexible queries
Over/Under-fetching: REST may fetch too much/little data; GraphQL requests exactly what's needed
Caching: REST has excellent HTTP caching; GraphQL caching is more complex
Learning Curve: REST is simpler to learn; GraphQL requires understanding query language
Tooling: REST has mature ecosystem; GraphQL has rapidly growing toolset
Real-time: REST uses polling/webhooks; GraphQL has built-in subscriptions