Introduction to RESTful APIs for Beginners

RESTful APIs allow different software applications to communicate over the internet using HTTP protocols.

What is REST?

Representational State Transfer (REST) is an architectural style that uses standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.

Why Use APIs?

• Connect front-end and back-end.

• Enable third-party integrations.

• Facilitate mobile app communication with servers.

Key Concepts:

• Resources: Data entities accessed via URLs.

• Statelessness: Each request is independent.

• JSON: Common format for data exchange.

Creating a Simple API:

Use frameworks like Express.js (Node.js) or Flask (Python) to create endpoints.

Summary:

Understanding REST APIs is crucial for modern web and mobile development.