RESTful API (Representational State Transfer API) is an architectural style for designing web services. It is based on the HTTP protocol and uses standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. to access and manipulate resources. RESTful APIs follow a set of principles that define how clients should interact with servers. These principles include:
Client-server architecture: The client and server are separate components that communicate through a uniform interface.
Stateless: Each request from the client must contain all the necessary information to complete the request.
Cacheable: Responses from the server can be cached by clients to improve performance.
Layered system: A client cannot tell whether it is connected directly to the server or through an intermediary such as a load balancer.
Uniform interface: Resources are identified by URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) and accessed using standard HTTP methods.
RESTful APIs are widely used in web development because they provide a scalable, flexible, and simple way of exposing data and functionality over the internet.
