REST APIs are a mainstay of[^1] integration/interoperability between systems. REST is an [[Systems Thinking|architectural pattern]] for exchanging data through an interface. It uses [[Hypertext Transfer Protocol]] (HTTP) to exchange resources (data, basically) between a client & server, without dependency on client-server state. Unlike [[SOAP]], REST does not prescribe the use of particular data structures (SOAP requires [[XML]]) or manage security/transaction compliance. This makes REST more lightweight. ![[Pasted image 20240524110736.png]] **** # More ## Source - experience - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REST) - [Redhat](https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/api/what-is-a-rest-api) ## Related [^1]: Note - mainstay of does not mean "only method of". You could also functionally integrate things by simply pointing multiple applications at the same database, file structure, or using other connectivity methods like SOAP and [[GraphQL]]