# REST API

* **Multiple Endpoints**: A REST API usually has different endpoints for different resources (e.g., `/users`, `/orders`).
* **Fixed Data Structure**: The server determines the structure and amount of data returned, which can sometimes result in over-fetching or under-fetching.
* **Predefined Responses**: Each endpoint returns a fixed set of data, and customizing the response requires modifying the endpoint or adding new one
* **Less Flexible**: Clients typically receive a full resource representation, and changes to the data format may require updates to the server or API versioning.
* **Multiple Requests**: Nested or related data often requires multiple API calls, potentially leading to performance inefficiencies.
* **Versioning Required**: REST often uses versioning (e.g., `/api/v1/`) to manage changes and avoid breaking existing clients. This can lead to version sprawl over time.
* **Separate Error Responses**: Errors are usually returned in different HTTP status codes (e.g., `404`, `500`), making it simpler but also less flexible in terms of combining partial data with errors.
* **No Type System**: REST APIs do not inherently include a type system. JSON Schema or similar tools can be used, but they are not part of the REST standard.

#### **REST API Example**

* **Endpoint 1**: `/users/1` (to get user details)
* **Endpoint 2**: `/users/1/posts` (to get the user's posts)

1. **Request 1 (Get user details)**:

```http
GET /users/1
```

**Response**:

```json
{
  "id": 1,
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john.doe@example.com"
}

```

2. **Request 2 (Get user's posts)**:

```http
GET /users/1/posts
```

**Response**:

```json
[
  {
    "postId": 101,
    "title": "My first post",
    "content": "This is the content of my first post."
  },
  {
    "postId": 102,
    "title": "Another day, another post",
    "content": "Here's some more content."
  }
]

```