Protobuf

Backend APIs: REST, GraphQL, and gRPC APIs connect frontends to data and services. REST, GraphQL, and gRPC each offer a different path. Choosing wisely helps you build scalable, maintainable systems without overengineering. REST REST is resource oriented and works smoothly with HTTP. It uses verbs like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Its strengths are simplicity, predictable caching, and broad tool support. A typical pattern looks like: GET /users/123 POST /orders ...

Communication Protocols: The Language Machines Speak Machines do not use human speech. They follow rules called protocols. A protocol tells a pair of devices how to format messages, how to address each other, how to confirm delivery, and what to do when something goes wrong. Without them, a request and a reply would be a confusion of bits and bytes. In practice, protocols work in layers. Each layer has a job: moving data, naming parts of a message, or describing what the data means. This layering makes systems more flexible. One change in the data format does not break the way data travels, and a new service can join the conversation without rewriting everything. ...

Data Serialization Formats and Protocols Data is data only when it can move between systems. Serialization formats define how objects become a string or a binary blob that can be stored, sent, and later reconstructed. Protocols describe how those bytes travel and are organized in networks. Understanding both helps you design cleaner APIs, reliable data lakes, and scalable messaging. Common formats for payloads JSON: text-based, human readable, widely supported. Good for open APIs and quick prototyping. XML: verbose but strong in structure, with namespaces and schemas. YAML: readable and friendly for configuration, but can be tricky to parse precisely. MessagePack: binary, compact, drop-in for JSON with similar data types. Protobuf: compact binary, schema-driven, fast; requires a .proto file and code generation. CBOR: binary, compact like JSON, suitable for low-bandwidth apps. Avro: schema-based, good for streaming and data lakes, with forward/backward compatibility. Parquet: columnar format for analytics; less common for API payloads but popular in data warehousing. Protocols and where formats fit ...