Best Practices - Rest API

1. Organize API design around resources https://adventure-works.com/orders // Good https://adventure-works.com/create-order // Avoid

2. Define API operations in terms of HTTP methods The common HTTP methods used by most RESTful web APIs are:
   

• GET retrieves a representation of the resource at the specified URI. The body of the response message contains the details of the requested resource.

• POST creates a new resource at the specified URI. The body of the request message provides the details of the new resource. Note that POST can also be used to trigger operations that don't actually create resources.

• PUT either creates or replaces the resource at the specified URI. The body of the request message specifies the resource to be created or updated.

• PATCH performs a partial update of a resource. The request body specifies the set of changes to apply to the resource.

• DELETE removes the resource at the specified URI.

1. Use JSON as the best format for sending and receiving messages

2. Design rest endpoint with nouns , instead of verbs

Wrong --- /createCustomer

/getCustomer/1

correct -- /customers ---POST MAPPING ====Create a Customer

/customers ---GET MAPPING ==== Get all customers

/customers/1 --GET MAPPING ======Get A Customer

/customers --PUT MAPPING ==== Update Customer

/customers -PATCH === PArtial Update for customer

 /customers/1 --DELETE

5 . Use status code in error handling

For Example:

6 . USe nesting on endpoints to show relationship

For example: there may be many comments for a post, so we could define endpoints with nesting as below

/posts/{postid}/comments

7. Use Filtering/pagination/sorting when data requested

8. Empty sets in message bodies

Any time the body of a successful response is empty, the status code should be 204 (No Content). For empty sets, such as a response to a filtered request with no items, the status code should still be 204 (No Content), not 200 (OK).

9. Use SSL/TLS for security

10. Use versioning

11. Use documentation with Swagger API

12. Use appropraite header info for authetication for ex: bearer token