API DEV

🔗 Introduction to REST API

What is an API?

An API (Application Programming Interface) allows software applications to communicate with each other. Think of it as a waiter taking your order and delivering food in a restaurant!

What is REST API?

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications. It uses standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.

Why, Where, When?

🌐 Used in frontend-backend data transfer.
📱 Used in mobile apps, websites, services.
🕒 Used anytime you need to connect or exchange data.

Real-world Example:

When you search weather info on a site, it requests weather data from a weather REST API and displays it on your browser.

Image: REST API Architecture (Client ↔ Server)

🧱 CRUD Operations in REST API

CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete — the four basic operations for managing data in a web application.

Create

Used to add new data to the database using POST requests.

Read

Used to retrieve or view data using GET requests.

Update

Used to modify existing data using PUT or PATCH.

Delete

Used to remove data from the database using DELETE.

⚙️ HTTP Methods in REST API

REST APIs use standard HTTP methods to perform actions on resources. Each method has a specific purpose in CRUD operations.

GET

Retrieves data from the server.
Example: fetching a user's profile info.

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POST

Creates a new resource on the server. Example: submitting a signup form.

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PUT

Updates an existing resource entirely. Example: updating a user's full profile.

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DELETE

Removes a resource from the server. Example: deleting a blog post.

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PATCH

Partially updates a resource. Example: updating only a user's email address.

Learn More

🌐 Real-World Use Cases of REST API

REST APIs are used across modern web applications to enable seamless communication between the frontend and backend.

User Authentication

Used in login/signup systems to send and receive user credentials securely.

Social Media Feed

Fetches posts, comments, and likes dynamically using REST API calls.

Shopping Cart System

Add/update/remove items in real-time using CRUD operations via APIs.

Weather Forecast Apps

Fetch current or weekly weather data from third-party REST APIs like OpenWeather.

Digital Wallets & Payments

Initiate transactions, show balance history using secure RESTful APIs.

Admin Dashboards

REST APIs pull live stats, charts, and data updates in real-time analytics dashboards.

🔗 API Structure & Endpoints

REST APIs follow a structured pattern that makes communication between frontend and backend predictable and scalable.

`GET /api/users`

Fetches a list of users from the server. Often used in admin dashboards or user list pages.

`GET /api/users/:id`

Retrieves a specific user's information using their ID. Example: /api/users/102

`POST /api/users`

Creates a new user by sending form data in the request body.

`PUT /api/users/:id`

Updates an existing user's data. Sends the entire updated record.

`PATCH /api/users/:id`

Updates only specific fields of a user. More efficient for partial updates.

`DELETE /api/users/:id`

Deletes a user from the database using their unique ID.

📚 REST API Resources

Learn REST API deeply using official documentation, downloadable PDFs, and full tutorial videos.

Official REST API Guide

Visit Site

REST API Cheat Sheet PDF

Download PDF

REST with Postman Article

Read Article

🎥 Video Tutorials

Best beginner-friendly YouTube tutorials for learning REST APIs hands-on.

REST API Tutorial for Beginners (FreeCodeCamp)

Build REST APIs with Node & Express

🔄 REST API Workflow

Understand how REST APIs operate using a client-server model, standard HTTP methods, and request/response cycle.

Basic Client-Server REST API Flow (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)

CRUD Operation Mapping to HTTP Methods

🧪 Practice JSON with Real Tools

Explore, practice, and understand JSON structure and API responses using these recommended tools and playgrounds.

📘 W3Schools JSON Tutorial

Learn JSON basics with interactive examples and exercises.

🌐 Visit W3Schools ↗

📫 Postman Web

Test live API requests and explore formatted JSON responses.

🌐 Open Postman ↗

🧰 JSON Formatter

Paste and prettify JSON data for readability or validation.

🌐 Try Formatter ↗