REST API

A REST (Representational State Transfer) API is an architectural style for the modern web. It allows different software systems to communicate with each other by using standard HTTP verbs: GET (to read data), POST (to create data), PUT (to replace data), PATCH (to update data), and DELETE (to remove data). Because REST is stateless, each request from the client to the server must contain all the information necessary to understand and process the request. This simplicity makes REST APIs highly scalable and easy to integrate with almost any programming language or platform.

In practice, REST APIs act as the glue that connects different services. For example, when an e-commerce site processes a payment, it uses a REST API to talk to a payment gateway like Stripe. When a weather app shows the forecast, it pulls that data from a meteorological service via REST. By following a predictable, resource-oriented structure, REST APIs allow developers to build complex, interconnected systems that are modular and easy to upgrade over time. This architectural style remains the backbone of the internet, powering everything from mobile apps to internal enterprise systems.