Different restfull api and soap api
Tags: api, javascript, node, soapapi
Published: 2023-04-14 08:28:01

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style that uses HTTP requests to access and manipulate resources. RESTful APIs use simple HTTP verbs such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to perform operations on resources. RESTful APIs are stateless, which means that the server does not maintain any client-specific information between requests.

Example
```
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "products": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "iPhone X",
      "price": 999.99,
      "category": "Smartphones"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Samsung Galaxy S9",
      "price": 799.99,
      "category": "Smartphones"
    }
  ]
}

```


SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a protocol that uses XML messages over HTTP to communicate between client and server. SOAP APIs use a standardized format for messages and provide features such as security and transactional support. SOAP APIs can be stateful, which means that the server can maintain client-specific information between requests.


```
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: nnnn

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope">
  <soap:Body>
    <GetProductsResponse xmlns="http://example.com/products">
      <Product>
        <ID>1</ID>
        <Name>iPhone X</Name>
        <Price>999.99</Price>
        <Category>Smartphones</Category>
      </Product>
      <Product>
        <ID>2</ID>
        <Name>Samsung Galaxy S9</Name>
        <Price>799.99</Price>
        <Category>Smartphones</Category>
      </Product>
    </GetProductsResponse>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>
```

Some of the key differences between RESTful and SOAP APIs are:

1. Message format: RESTful APIs use lightweight formats such as JSON or XML, while SOAP APIs use XML.

2. Protocol: RESTful APIs use HTTP protocol, while SOAP APIs can use other protocols such as SMTP, TCP, and HTTP.

3. Performance: RESTful APIs are generally faster and have better performance than SOAP APIs due to their lightweight message format.

4. Flexibility: RESTful APIs are more flexible than SOAP APIs as they allow clients to specify the format of data they need.

5. Standards: SOAP APIs have a set of standards defined by the W3C, while RESTful APIs do not have a standard defined.

More Details

**Message format:**
RESTful APIs use lightweight formats such as JSON or XML to transfer data between client and server. JSON is becoming more popular due to its simplicity, readability, and ability to parse data easily. XML is also widely used, especially in legacy systems. The use of lightweight formats makes RESTful APIs faster and more efficient than SOAP APIs, which use a more complex XML message format.

**Protocol:**
RESTful APIs use HTTP protocol for communication, which is the standard protocol used by web browsers and servers. This means that RESTful APIs are easy to integrate with web applications and can be accessed through standard HTTP requests such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. SOAP APIs, on the other hand, can use other protocols such as SMTP, TCP, and HTTP. This makes SOAP APIs more flexible but also more complex to implement and maintain.

**Performance:**
RESTful APIs are generally faster and more efficient than SOAP APIs due to their lightweight message format and use of HTTP protocol. RESTful APIs can also leverage caching to further improve performance. SOAP APIs, on the other hand, are more complex and require more processing power and bandwidth to transfer messages.

**Flexibility:**
RESTful APIs are more flexible than SOAP APIs as they allow clients to specify the format of data they need. Clients can request data in JSON or XML format, or even in plain text or binary format. RESTful APIs are also easier to integrate with other web services and can be used with different programming languages. SOAP APIs, on the other hand, have a more rigid structure and require adherence to a specific set of standards. This makes SOAP APIs more suitable for enterprise-level applications that require a higher level of security and transactional support.

**Standards:**
SOAP APIs have a set of standards defined by the W3C, which includes the SOAP specification, the WSDL (Web Services Description Language), and the UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration) registry. These standards define the structure and format of SOAP messages, as well as the operations and services offered by SOAP APIs. RESTful APIs, on the other hand, do not have a specific set of standards defined, although there are some best practices and conventions that are widely used.