Can we say “If an API is following 6 constraints of REST then it’s a RESTful API”? or my statement is completely wrong?
3 Answers
Well, you are half right. Yes, there are 6 constraints that Mr. Roy Fielding described in his phD publication. But, the last one "Code On Demand" is optional
Ref: https://www.ics.uci.edu/~fielding/pubs/dissertation/rest_arch_style.htm
Can we say “If an API is following 6 constraints of REST then it’s a RESTful API”? or my statement is completely wrong?
You probably need to be detailed about the nature of the "uniform interface" constraint:
REST is defined by four interface constraints: identification of resources; manipulation of resources through representations; self-descriptive messages; and, hypermedia as the engine of application state.
See also REST APIs Must be Hypertext Driven (Fielding 2008).
REST defines 6 architectural constraints which make any web service – a true RESTful API.
- Uniform interface
- Client-server
- Stateless
- Cacheable
- Layered system
- Code on demand (optional)
All the above constraints help you build a truly RESTful API, and you should follow them. Still, at times, If you find yourself violating one or two constraints. Do not worry; you are still making a RESTful API – but not “truly RESTful.”
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