[Crash Course #01] A Complete Crash Course on REST APIs : How it Actually Works - Part 1
Everything you need to implement REST APIs
REST APIs are the foundation of modern web services, enabling scalable, maintainable, and intuitive communication between systems.
Table of Contents
Introduction to APIs and REST
1.1 What is an API?
1.2 Evolution of APIs
1.3 What is REST?
1.4 Why REST APIs Became Dominant
Core Principles of REST
2.1 Client-Server Architecture
2.2 Statelessness
2.3 Cacheability
2.4 Uniform Interface
2.5 Layered System
2.6 Code on Demand (Optional)
REST API Fundamentals
3.1 Resources and Resource Identifiers
3.2 HTTP Methods (CRUD Operations)
3.3 URI Design and Best Practices
3.4 HTTP Status Codes
3.5 Request and Response Structure
Advanced REST Concepts
4.1 API Versioning Strategies
4.2 Pagination Techniques
4.3 Filtering, Sorting, and Searching
4.4 HATEOAS (Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State)
4.5 Rate Limiting and Throttling
REST API Security
5.1 Authentication Methods
5.2 Authorization Patterns
5.3 HTTPS/TLS
5.4 API Keys and Tokens
5.5 OAuth 2.0 and JWT
5.6 Security Best Practices
Data Formats and Content Negotiation
6.1 JSON vs XML
6.2 Content Negotiation
6.3 Request/Response Headers
6.4 Media Types
Error Handling and Validation
7.1 Error Response Design
7.2 Input Validation
7.3 Error Codes and Messages
7.4 Problem Details for HTTP APIs
REST API Performance Optimization
8.1 Caching Strategies
8.2 Compression
8.3 Connection Pooling
8.4 Async Processing
8.5 CDN Integration
REST API Design Patterns
9.1 Resource Relationships
9.2 Bulk Operations
9.3 Partial Updates (PATCH)
9.4 Long-Running Operations
9.5 Webhooks and Callbacks
Testing and Documentation
10.1 API Testing Strategies
10.2 OpenAPI/Swagger Specification
10.3 API Documentation Best Practices
10.4 Mock Servers and Testing Tools
REST API Ecosystem
11.1 API Gateways
11.2 Service Mesh
11.3 API Management Platforms
11.4 Monitoring and Observability
How It All Works Together
12.1 Complete Request-Response Flow
12.2 Real-World Architecture Example
12.3 Best Practices Summary
1. Introduction to REST APIs
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are the unsung heroes of our interconnected digital world. They are the messengers, translators, and contracts that allow disparate software applications to talk to each other. APIs are the backbone of software communication, enabling everything from mobile apps to enterprise systems to work together seamlessly.