REST API: A common style of API that uses web addresses (URLs) and HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT and DELETE to read or change data.
Example
GET /api/products returns a list of products; POST /api/products adds a new one.
Why REST API matters for IT interns
REST APIs are the kind you will meet most often in web projects and interviews.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term in development teams, in code reviews and technical discussions, and in technical interviews. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- Production: The live system that real users use.
- Production Environment: The servers, databases and settings that run the live application for real users.
- Requirement: A description of what the software should do or how it should behave, usually agreed with the business or…
- Runtime: The environment your program runs in, or the time when it is running.
- SDK: Software Development Kit: a set of tools, libraries and documentation for building software for a particular…
- Software Development: The whole work of planning, building, testing and maintaining software.
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Frequently asked questions
What is REST API?
A common style of API that uses web addresses (URLs) and HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT and DELETE to read or change data.
What is an example of REST API?
GET /api/products returns a list of products; POST /api/products adds a new one.
Why does REST API matter for IT interns?
REST APIs are the kind you will meet most often in web projects and interviews.
Explore more internship terms
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About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.