REST (Representational State Transfer) APIs: These are the most common type of web APIs. They are flexible and use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to interact with resources. Data is often exchanged in formats like JSON or XML.
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) APIs: Older and more rigid than REST APIs, SOAP APIs use XML for message exchange and typically rely on HTTP, but can use other protocols. They are often used in enterprise-level applications that require strict security and transaction compliance.
- Endpoint (URL): The specific address of the resource or functionality the client wants to access on the API server.
- HTTP Method (Verb): The type of action to be performed (e.g., GET to retrieve, POST to create, PUT to update, DELETE to remove).
- Headers: Additional information about the request, such as authentication credentials (like an API key or authentication token), content type, or desired response format.
- Parameters: Specific data needed for the request, which can be part of the URL (query parameters, path parameters) or in the request body.
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