REST API fundamentals review in Postman - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does REST stand for in REST API?

REST stands for Representational State Transfer. It is a style of web architecture that uses standard HTTP methods to interact with resources.

beginner

Name the four main HTTP methods commonly used in REST APIs.

The four main HTTP methods are GET (retrieve data), POST (create data), PUT (update data), and DELETE (remove data).

beginner

What is the purpose of the status code 404 in REST API responses?

Status code 404 means 'Not Found'. It indicates that the requested resource does not exist on the server.

intermediate

Explain the difference between PUT and PATCH methods.

PUT replaces the entire resource with the new data, while PATCH updates only specific fields of the resource.

intermediate

Why is statelessness important in REST APIs?

Statelessness means each request from client to server must contain all information needed to understand and process the request. It improves scalability and reliability.

Which HTTP method is used to retrieve data from a REST API?

A GET

B POST

C DELETE

D PUT

GET is used to request data from a server without modifying it.

What does a 201 HTTP status code indicate?

A Resource not found

B Resource created successfully

C Unauthorized access

D Bad request

201 means the request was successful and a new resource was created.

In REST, what is a resource?

A A server

B An endpoint URL

C Any object or data that can be accessed or manipulated

D A database

A resource is any data or object that the API exposes for interaction.

Which HTTP method should be used to update only part of a resource?

A DELETE

B PUT

C GET

D PATCH

PATCH updates specific fields without replacing the entire resource.

Why should REST APIs be stateless?

A To ensure each request is independent and scalable

B To allow clients to store server data

C To reduce server load by storing session data

D To enable caching on the client side

Statelessness means each request contains all needed info, making the system scalable and reliable.

Describe the key principles of REST architecture and why they matter.

Think about how REST makes web services simple and scalable.

Explain how HTTP status codes help in testing REST APIs.

Status codes are like traffic signals for API responses.