What are the characteristics of a RESTful service?
RESTful services have the characteristics of being stateless, using JSON responses, having a client-server architecture, and exposing resources as URIs.
Characteristics of a RESTful service
1. Stateless:
A RESTful service is stateless, which means that the server does not store any client information between requests. Each request from the client to the server must contain all the information needed to understand and process the request.
2. JSON Responses:
RESTful services use JSON responses, which stand for JavaScript Object Notation. JSON is a lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and for machines to parse and generate. JSON is commonly used in RESTful services to format and transfer data between the client and server.
3. Client-Server Architecture:
RESTful services follow a client-server architecture where the client initiates requests to the server, and the server processes these requests and sends back the requested data. This separation of concerns allows for scalability and flexibility in the system architecture.
4. Resources Exposed as URIs:
In a RESTful service, resources are exposed as URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers). URIs uniquely identify resources and provide a way for clients to access and manipulate these resources through standardized methods such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. The use of URIs in RESTful services helps to create a uniform interface for interacting with the resources.
In conclusion, a RESTful service exhibits the characteristics of being stateless, using JSON responses, having a client-server architecture, and exposing resources as URIs. These characteristics are key principles of RESTful web services that promote interoperability, scalability, and simplicity in distributed systems.