Hierarchical resource paths in Rest API - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a hierarchical resource path in REST APIs?

It is a way to organize API endpoints in a tree-like structure, showing relationships between resources using nested paths.

beginner

Why use hierarchical resource paths in REST APIs?

They help represent real-world relationships clearly, making APIs easier to understand and use by showing how resources are connected.

beginner

Example: How would you represent comments belonging to a specific blog post using hierarchical paths?

You would use a path like /posts/{postId}/comments, where {postId} identifies the blog post and comments are nested under it.

intermediate

What does the path /users/{userId}/orders/{orderId} represent?

It represents a specific order ({orderId}) that belongs to a specific user ({userId}), showing a clear parent-child relationship.

intermediate

How do hierarchical resource paths improve API security and validation?

They allow the server to check if a resource belongs to the parent resource, helping prevent unauthorized access and ensuring data integrity.

What does the hierarchical path /libraries/{libraryId}/books/{bookId} indicate?

A A book inside a specific library

B A library inside a specific book

C All books in all libraries

D A book unrelated to any library

The path shows that the book identified by {bookId} belongs to the library identified by {libraryId}.

Which is a correct hierarchical resource path for accessing all comments on a photo?

A /photos/{photoId}/comments

B /comments/photos

C /photos/comments

D /comments/{commentId}/photos

The path /photos/{photoId}/comments correctly nests comments under a specific photo.

Why is it better to use hierarchical paths instead of flat paths like /orders and /users separately?

A Flat paths are faster to process

B Hierarchical paths use fewer characters

C Hierarchical paths show relationships between resources clearly

D Flat paths are more secure

Hierarchical paths help show how resources relate, making the API easier to understand and use.

In the path /companies/{companyId}/employees/{employeeId}, what does {employeeId} represent?

A All employees in all companies

B An employee belonging to the company <code>{companyId}</code>

C A company belonging to the employee <code>{employeeId}</code>

D An unrelated employee

The employee identified by {employeeId} belongs to the company identified by {companyId}.

What is a benefit of hierarchical resource paths for API clients?

A They make URLs shorter

B They reduce the number of API calls needed

C They hide resource relationships

D They make it easier to find related resources

Hierarchical paths help clients understand and navigate related resources easily.

Explain what hierarchical resource paths are and why they are useful in REST APIs.

Think about how folders on your computer are organized.

Describe how you would design a hierarchical path for accessing all reviews of a specific product in an online store API.

Start from the main resource and add the related resource as a child.