REST API Design, Development & Management

Apr 14, 2025

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Link to the course

What I Learned from This Course

  • REST Architecture Constraints: REST is based on six architectural constraints that ensure scalability, performance, and simplicity:

    • Client-Server: Separates the client and server concerns, improving portability and scalability.
    • Stateless: Each request contains all the information the server needs; no session is stored server-side.
    • Cacheable: Responses must indicate whether they are cacheable to improve performance.
    • Uniform Interface: Simplifies architecture by having a consistent way to interact with resources.
    • Layered System: Allows intermediaries (like proxies and gateways) to enhance scalability and security.
    • Code on Demand (optional): Allows servers to deliver executable code (like JavaScript) to clients.

  • Richardson Maturity Model: A framework for measuring the level of RESTfulness in an API. It helps evaluate how well an API aligns with REST principles by dividing it into four levels:

    • Level 0 – The Swamp of POX: Uses a single endpoint and HTTP as a transport protocol only, often with XML or JSON payloads. No use of REST concepts.
    • Level 1 – Resources: Introduces distinct URIs for individual resources but still uses a single HTTP method (usually POST).
    • Level 2 – HTTP Verbs: Incorporates proper use of HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) for each resource URI, following RESTful interaction.
    • Level 3 – Hypermedia Controls (HATEOAS): Adds hypermedia links to responses, guiding clients on available actions, making the API more discoverable and self-explanatory.

  • Naming Conventions:

    1. Name resources using plural nouns (e.g., /users, /products).
    2. Use verbs for actions (e.g., /users/login).

  • API Caching Directives:

    • private / public
    • no-store / no-cache
    • Use of ETag for efficient caching and conditional requests.

  • Authentication:

    • Although the course covered basic authentication, I’ve never used it in practice. From the start of my work, token-based authentication has been the standard.

  • API Management Tools:

    • I just learned about API management platforms like Apigee, which help manage, secure, and monitor APIs efficiently.
🏷️#course#backend