What are REST APIs?
An API (Application Programming Interface) allows different software applications to communicate. REST (Representational State Transfer) is a popular architectural style for web APIs. Flask makes building REST APIs simple.
REST API uses HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and returns data in JSON format.
Why REST APIs?
- Enable frontend (React, Vue) or mobile apps to communicate with backend.
- Decouple client and server.
- Stateless – each request contains all needed information.
- Use standard HTTP methods and status codes.
REST API Example in Flask
from flask import Flask, jsonify, request
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.route('/api/users', methods=['GET'])
def get_users():
users = [{'id': 1, 'name': 'Alice'}, {'id': 2, 'name': 'Bob'}]
return jsonify(users)Testing with curl
curl http://localhost:5000/api/usersTwo Minute Drill
- REST APIs use HTTP methods and return JSON.
- Use `jsonify()` to return JSON responses.
- Flask makes building APIs straightforward.
- Test APIs with curl, Postman, or browser.
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