Salesforce MuleSoft MuleSoft-Integration-Associate Question # 8 Topic 1 Discussion

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style commonly used for designing networked applications, particularly APIs that need to handle multiple content types over HTTP. Here’s a detailed explanation:

Content Negotiation:

Definition: REST APIs support content negotiation, allowing clients to request either XML or JSON formats by setting the Accept header in HTTP requests.

Flexibility: This capability makes REST ideal for scenarios where an API needs to serve multiple content types.

HTTP Protocol:

Usage: REST APIs operate over HTTP/1.1, making them compatible with web standards and easily accessible by various clients (browsers, mobile apps, etc.).

Methods: Supports standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, allowing for CRUD operations.

Advantages:

Stateless: Each request from a client to server must contain all the information needed to understand and process the request.

Scalability: RESTful services can handle a high load of requests efficiently.

References

REST API Design: RESTful Web Services

Content Negotiation: HTTP Content Negotiation