What are the different API architecture styles?

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) form the backbone of modern software development, facilitating communication between different software systems. To ensure efficient and flexible integration, API architecture styles have been developed. The most commonly used styles include REST (Representational State Transfer), SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), and GraphQL. REST, based on the principles of HTTP, employs a stateless client-server model with standardized methods such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. SOAP, on the other hand, utilizes XML-based messaging formats and supports various protocols like HTTP, SMTP, and more. Lastly, GraphQL enables clients to specify the data they require, allowing for efficient retrieval and minimizing the issue of over-fetching. Each architecture style comes with its own advantages and use cases, depending on the requirements of an application or system.

This mind map was published on 11 September 2023 and has been viewed 65 times.