An API (application programming interface) as we know, is a set of rules that facilitates communication between different application programs. APIs play a critical role in optimizing application performance and aid in delivering consistent user experiences across different screens. The key attribute of APIs is providing a standardized way for two applications to interact and exchange data. It paves way for integrating third-party applications and services through API development solutions.
Nevertheless, as you move your application to the web, you also move the APIs (running behind the firewall) to the internet. The transition is rather complicated and requires sheer diligence and utmost attention from the developers to handle everything perfectly. To crack the hard nut, we have REST APIs that make web transition extremely simple and straightforward. More importantly, if you want to have multiple software integrations, then REST API development is your best bet.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the significance of REST APIs and delve into the technical details about their key components. Subsequently, we’ll explore the significance of REST API development as part of the software development lifecycle.
Also read Legacy System Modernization: Making Your Enterprise Systems Future-Ready
What Is REST API?
Representational State Transfer (REST) is an architectural style and methodology that is frequently used in developing web-based applications and services. To better understand the concept of REST or RESTful APIs, let’s first get familiar with the following fundamental terms:
Client
A client is a person or program that uses the API to perform various tasks or actions. To perform an action or retrieve data, the client must hit the API and request the desired output. For instance, your web browser is a client that interacts with the APIs of different websites to get you the desired page content.
Resource
A resource is any piece of information that the client gets when the API is called. For instance, the information that you get upon clicking on a random website button is a resource. Each source has a distinct name or identity commonly referred to as the resource identifier.
Server
A server is where the application is stored along with all its resources. It is the most crucial element that receives client requests, processes them (calls the API), and delivers the desired output (resource). Rather than providing complete access to the application resources, a server only grants access to the representational state of the source using REST APIs.
That said, representational state transfer (REST) provides a set of rules for an application to interact with clients over the internet. In this context, REST APIs provide seamless communication between different application elements, enabling clients to access the desired resources.
It’s easier to understand now that APIs enable developers to integrate different application features and components rather than developing them from the ground up. For instance, an eCommerce store owner can integrate the website or app with various payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay using REST APIs. This approach enables businesses to save their time and costs as it significantly reduces development efforts.
Why Do We Need REST APIs?
REST APIs provide a great deal of flexibility and improved modular architecture, not to mention the ease of integration for a variety of applications and third-party services. Besides, REST APIs are stateless, which means they allow clients to make calls independently for different resources. Here, each call contains all the relevant data for its execution.
Unlike the SOAP protocol, REST is not only limited to XML i.e it can provide the output in XML, JSON, YAML, and many other formats based on the client requests. Similarly, REST is better than the RPC protocol (remote procedure call) as the users don’t need to remember the procedure names or several other parameters. One drawback, however, is that you may not be able to maintain a particular state in REST within different sessions. For this reason, it might be difficult for entry-level developers to get the hang of it.
You may also be interested in reading Benefits of QuickBooks-WooCommerce Integration
The Bottom Line
An increasing number of organizations use REST APIs to quickly achieve the required functionality through custom integrations. API development services is a quick and efficient way to enhance the functionality of a web/mobile app with minimal code changes. Besides, it accelerates the software development lifecycle while giving you access to required features by outsourcing third-party applications or services. REST APIs provide perfect synchronization between different app elements (including third-party integrations) to deliver seamless user experiences across devices.
Why Choose Oodles ERP For REST API Development Services?
We are a seasoned software development company that provides end-to-end custom API development services to solve complex business problems. Our developers specialize in building and implementing REST APIs to adequately interconnect multiple software applications, third-party services, and disparate modules. Our REST API development services address your diverse business needs through multilateral web and mobile solutions with cloud integration. We have worked with startups, SMBs, and large-scale enterprises to deliver innovative technology solutions for their diverse business use cases. To know more about our custom API development services, visit erpsolutions.oodles.io. For project-related queries, drop us a line at [email protected].
