Question
What is a 'RESTful API' and what are its key architectural constraints?
Solution
REST (Representational State Transfer) uses standard HTTP methods: GET (retrieve), POST (create), PUT (update/replace), PATCH (partial update), DELETE (remove). Resources identified by URIs (e.g., /api/accounts/12345). Stateless means each request contains all necessary context (no server-side session state). Returns JSON or XML. Status codes indicate outcomes (200 OK, 201 Created, 404 Not Found, 401 Unauthorized). Banking APIs (Account Aggregator, UPI, Open Banking) extensively use REST. APIs must be secured with OAuth 2.0 + HTTPS.
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