Hello everyone,
Today we're going to talk about two different approaches to building APIs: GraphQL and REST.
First, let's define what we mean by an API. An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules that specifies how two software systems can communicate with each other. APIs allow different systems to exchange data and functionality, making it possible to build complex systems by integrating smaller, independent components.
Now, let's take a closer look at GraphQL and REST.
GraphQL is a query language for your API, and a runtime for executing those queries against your data. It was developed and open-sourced by Facebook in 2015, and has since gained a lot of popularity due to its flexibility and efficiency.
In GraphQL, the client makes a request using a special query language, and the server responds with the requested data. The query language is designed to be expressive and flexible, allowing the client to specify exactly what data it needs and how it should be structured. One of the main benefits of GraphQL is that it allows for the creation of more flexible APIs, as the client has complete control over the data that is returned.
REST (representational state transfer) is a software architectural style that defines a set of constraints to be used for creating web services. It was first introduced by Roy Fielding in 2000 in his dissertation, "Architectural Styles and the Design of Network-based Software Architectures".
REST APIs are based on the idea of resources, each of which is uniquely identifiable via a URL. These resources can be manipulated using a fixed set of operations: create, read, update, and delete (CRUD). The HTTP verbs (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) are used to indicate which operation is being performed.
REST APIs are designed to be easy to understand and use, and they are built around the idea of a "resource" with a fixed set of operations. However, REST has some limitations. One of the main drawbacks is that it can be inflexible, as the API is built around a fixed set of resources and operations. This means that if the client needs to fetch data in a way that is not supported by the API, it has to make multiple requests or build custom endpoints.
So, which approach is best? It really depends on your specific needs. Both GraphQL and REST have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the right choice for your API will depend on your use case.
Follow the link to read more on the differences between these two approaches to building APIs.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading!