Name the difference between REST and SOAP, how do they differ?

REST and SOAP are two different approaches to organizing web services:

• REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style that uses the HTTP protocol and standard methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). Data is usually transmitted in JSON or XML format. REST is simpler, lighter, and more flexible.

• SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a messaging protocol that uses XML for message formatting and typically operates over HTTP or SMTP. SOAP is more formal, supporting advanced security, transaction, and reliability features.

Main differences:

• REST is simpler and easier to implement.
• SOAP is more standardized and suitable for complex enterprise systems.
• REST uses different data formats, SOAP only XML.
• SOAP supports WS-* standards (security, transactions), REST does not.