An API style acts as a covert handshake between two computers, allowing them to communicate and interpret one another’s messages. Each type of handshake has a unique method for exchanging and receiving information! 🌟🗣️
Are you feeling lost when it comes to API styles? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! 🌐🤔 I’ve got your back!
I’ve simplified and decrypted the mysteries of the six most crucial API styles for you so you can focus on what really matters and save time!
1. 𝗦𝗢𝗔𝗣
- Protocol using XML-based messages for communication
- Requires strict adherence to predefined contracts
- Operates primarily over HTTP or HTTPS
- Commonly used in enterprise environments
2. REST API
- REST API is an architectural style that emphasizes resources and statelessness.
- It uses standard HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE.
- REST API is simpler to implement and understand compared to SOAP.
- It can work with different data formats, but JSON is the most commonly used.
3. GRPС
- GRPС focuses on remote procedure calls (RPCs) between services.
- It uses HTTP/2 for transport and Protocol Buffers for serialization.
- It is ideal for microservices, where low latency and high efficiency are essential.
- GRPС automatically generates client and server code for multiple languages.
4. GRAPHQL
- GraphQL is a query language and runtime for APIs.
- It allows clients to request specific data, reducing over-fetching.
- GraphQL can combine multiple data sources in a single request.
- It was developed and open-sourced by Facebook.
5. WEB SOCKET
- WebSocket is a bidirectional, real-time communication protocol.
- It maintains a single, long-lived connection over TCP.
- WebSocket is suitable for web applications requiring live updates.
- It is not tied to any specific serialization format.
6. WEBHOOK
- Webhook is a server-side, event-driven mechanism.
- It sends HTTP callbacks (usually POST requests) to specified URLs.
- Webhook is triggered by specific events or actions within an application.
- It is useful for integrating third-party services or updating data in real-time.
Which of these looks do you consider to be the coolest? Comment down below!