Why You Should Use REST API and How it Does Influences Web Application Development
Tags: rest, api, webdev
Published: 2022-07-02 18:00:05


**Introduction: What is a REST API and Why You Should Use It?**

If you're a developer, chances are good that you've heard of the REST API. It's a standard for creating web services and is used by many modern applications. However, there might be a few things that you don't know about the REST API because it can be difficult to understand at first glance. In this article, we'll cover some basics about the REST API so that you can get started using it in your own projects!

REST API is a software protocol for building web services. It is one of the most popular and widely used protocols for the internet.

REST API provides a way for two applications to communicate with each other over the internet, regardless of programming language. REST API is an interface that allows developers to use HTTP requests to update data and retrieve information from a server.

**What Makes Up the World of an API?**

There are many definitions of what an API is. The most common one is that it stands for Application Programming Interface. An API is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing data or functions from one application to use in another application.

An API can be used to connect two different applications together, or it can be used to connect an application with a third-party service, such as social media or analytics tools. APIs are used to access data from a remote server.

The world of APIs consists of many things: REST APIs, SOAP APIs, JSON APIs, and more. This section will explore the basics of what each type is and how they differ from one another.

**REST API vs. GraphQL vs. SOAP vs. XML-RPC - What's The Difference?**

GraphQL, REST API, SOAP, and XML-RPC are four different approaches that developers can take when designing Web Services APIs.

REST API is a software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be followed in designing web services. REST API is an approach to provide an interface for the data and services offered by a website. The REST API is a simple and lightweight protocol that uses HTTP requests to transfer data. REST API is the most popular choice for mobile and web applications, as it's easy to build and implement.

GraphQL was developed by Facebook in 2012 and it's a query language that runs on top of a REST API. It's an alternative to REST APIs, which are limited by their query constraints. GraphQL has a lot of similarities with REST API, but it also has some differences. It is a more robust solution that provides a clear separation of data storage and data access.

SOAP is an acronym that stands for Simple Object Access Protocol which is used in the development of web services. It was created by Microsoft and IBM in 1998 as an XML-based protocol. SOAP is also another protocol for transferring data over HTTP, and it's more complicated than XML-RPC or JSON-RPC due to its heavy use of XML tags. SOAP is an old protocol that was designed for use with HTTP but it doesn't provide any improvements over REST API or GraphQL in terms of performance or functionality.

XML-RPC is a remote procedure call protocol designed for use with XML, developed as an alternative to SOAP. XML-RPC is an older protocol that uses XML to transfer data between client and server.

The main advantage of the REST API is that it's simple and fast.

- It doesn't require any special software to be installed
- It doesn't use a lot of resources
- It doesn't require a lot of bandwidth

The flexibility offered by the REST API makes it easy to use.

REST APIs are easy to use because they are language-independent, which means that they can be used by any programming language. This also means that the REST API can be used in any operating system or platform without any compatibility issues.

REST APIs are easy to use because they are easy to understand and use. REST APIs use a simple mapping between resources, verbs, and data models that makes it easier for users with no experience in web development or design to understand how they should interact with the API.

**API Testing Techniques That Will Make Your Life Easier**

If you are a tester, you are always looking for ways to make your life easier. Testing APIs is different from testing webpages or mobile apps. There are many things to consider when testing an API and it can take time to get the hang of it.

Testing APIs is a complicated task, especially when you have to test a large number of them.

**1. Use an Automated Testing Tool**

Automating tasks can help you save a lot of time and effort when testing APIs. A REST API testing tool is an application that you can use to interact with your RESTful API. It provides a set of tools for testing your API and validating that it is working as expected.

Automated testing tools are available for both web and mobile apps. You can use them to automate the tests on your app and save time by running them repeatedly. These tools also offer an option to generate a comprehensive report on the tests performed, which saves time spent on manual testing.

Some of the best automated testing tools:

- Postman
- RapidAPI Testing
- Selenium
- Katalon Studio
- LambdaTest
- TestProject
- TestArchitect
- APIFortress

Explore details [here](https://rapidapi.com/blog/best-automated-testing-tools/)

**2. Test Your APIs from Different Devices and Browsers**

Most of us test our applications from one or two devices and browsers, but we should be testing our applications from all possible devices and browsers so that we can identify any bugs or issues with our application before deploying it in production environment.

The most common use cases for API Testing are:

- Testing that an API works as expected.
- Creating tests for an API before it's built (i.e., unit testing).
- Testing changes to an existing API.

Some of the most common reasons why companies need to test APIs are:

- Ensuring that they are compatible with different browsers, operating systems and devices
- Ensuring that they follow security standards and guidelines
- Ensuring that they can be used by different developers on different platforms

**Conclusion**

REST API is a great way to build web applications and provide access to services. It has many advantages over traditional methods, such as being simple and fast. The flexibility offered by the REST API makes it easy to use and allows developers to have more control over data formats and data schema. With REST APIs, applications can communicate with each other in a language-independent way.