I'm going to learn RESTful web services (it's better to say that I'll have to do this because it's a part of CS master degree program).
I've read some info in Wikipedia and I've also read an article about REST at Sun Developer Network and I see that it's not easy technology, there are special frameworks for building RESTful apps, and it's often being compared to SOAP web services and programmer should understand when to use SOAP and when REST could be nice approach.
I remember that several years ago SOAP was very popular (fashionable?) and item 'SOAP' had to be present in every good CV. But in practice it was used very rarely and for achieving very simple purposes.
It seems to me that REST is another 'last word of fashion' (or I can be totally wrong because I haven't ever seen REST in practice).
Can you give me some examples were REST should be used and why we can't do the same without REST (or why we should spend much more time to do the same without REST)?
UPD: Unfortunatelly I can't see any concrete arguments which can blow my mind in first comments. Make me think that REST is awesome technology!
I'd like to see answers like this:
I was developing another complex HelloWorld application and we need to transfer lots of / tiny data and I proposed REST solution to my workmate:
– Oh, damn! Jonny, we should certainly use REST for implementing this app!
– Yes, Billy, we can use REST, but we would better use SOAP. Trust me 'cause I know something about developing HelloWorld applications.
– But SOAP is old-fashioned technology from the last century and we can use better one.
– Billy, are you ready to spent 3 days for experimenting with REST? We can do this with SOAP in 2 hours..
– Yes, I'm sure that we'll spent even more time to achieve the same security/performance/ /scalability/whatever else with SOAP. I'm sure that HelloWorld applications should be developed only with REST from now.