Web API Design: REST, GraphQL, and Beyond
Web API Design: REST, GraphQL, and Beyond Web APIs power modern apps, from mobile clients to cloud services. REST and GraphQL are popular choices, but the best design fits who uses the API and what data they need. A good design helps teams move fast and keeps integrations reliable. REST basics REST treats data as resources exposed at clear URLs. Actions use standard HTTP methods: GET to read, POST to create, PUT or PATCH to update, and DELETE to remove. Status codes communicate results, while headers guide caching and versioning. For example, GET /books lists books, GET /books/42 retrieves one item, and POST /books creates a new book. Think about pagination for large lists, filtering for client needs, and a version in the path or header to avoid breaking changes. ...