What is REST API? What do you understand by this?

REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface) is an architectural style for creating web services that uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) to interact with resources.

Main principles of REST API:

• Resource-oriented: all data is represented as resources identified by URIs.
• Statelessness: each request from a client to a server must contain all the information needed to understand and process the request; the server does not store client state.
• Use of standard HTTP methods: for operations on resources.
• Caching: responses can be be cached to improve performance.
• Uniform interface: simplifies interaction and understanding of the API.

For example, for user management:

• GET /users/123 — retrieve data of the user with id 123
• POST /users — create a new user
• PUT /users/123 — update data of the user
• DELETE /users/123 — delete the user

REST API is widely used due to its simplicity, scalability, and compatibility with web technologies.