REST APIs
intermediateTopic 7 of 12 in Backend Development
What it is
A REST API is a set of endpoints that let clients (like a frontend app or mobile app) interact with your server using standard HTTP methods. It is the most common way to build backend services.
Why backend developers need it
REST APIs are how frontends talk to backends. Building them is the core skill of backend development — designing endpoints, handling requests, validating data, and returning proper responses.
What to learn
REST principles: resources, methods, status codes
Designing URL structures and endpoints
Request and response formats (JSON)
Route parameters and query strings
Input validation and error handling
Middleware: logging, CORS, rate limiting
API documentation with Swagger/OpenAPI
Versioning your API
Practice project
Bookshelf API
Build a REST API for a bookshelf app: CRUD endpoints for books, search by title or author, pagination, and proper error responses. Document it with Swagger.