Version: 1.0.5

Before you Start

REST Web Services

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style used for designing networked applications. RESTful web services provide a standardized way of communication between different systems over the internet. It relies on a set of principles and constraints that make the services scalable, stateless, and interoperable.

HTTP Methods (Verbs)

HTTP methods, also known as verbs, define the type of operation or action to be performed on a resource. The common HTTP methods used in RESTful web services are:

  1. GET: Used to retrieve data from a specified resource. It is a safe and idempotent operation, meaning multiple GET requests for the same resource should produce the same result without modifying the resource.
  2. POST: Used to submit data to be processed to a specified resource. It often results in the creation of a new resource or some side effect on the server.
  3. PUT: Used to update or replace a resource at a specified URL. It completely replaces the existing resource with the new representation provided in the request.
  4. DELETE: Used to remove a specified resource from the server.
  5. PATCH: Used to partially update a resource at a specified URL. It applies partial modifications to the resource, rather than replacing it entirely.

HTTP Status Codes

HTTP status codes are three-digit numbers returned by the server in response to a client's request. They provide information about the outcome of the request and help in understanding the server's response. Some commonly used status codes in RESTful web services are:

  1. 200 OK: The request was successful, and the server returned the requested data.
  2. 400 Bad Request: The server could not understand the request due to invalid syntax or missing parameters.
  3. 401 Unauthorized: The request requires authentication, and the client needs to provide valid credentials.
  4. 404 Not Found: The requested resource could not be found on the server.
  5. 500 Internal Server Error: An unexpected error occurred on the server while processing the request.

These are just a few examples of the numerous HTTP methods and status codes available. Understanding and correctly handling HTTP methods and status codes is essential for building robust and reliable RESTful web services.