SOAP vs. REST
APIs exchange instructions and data, which necessitates explicit protocols and architectures – the rules, structures, and limitations that govern the functioning of an API. When discussing API architectures, it's usual to compare SOAP vs. REST, two of the most prominent API paradigms. Although the two are frequently compared as apples to apples, they are essentially distinct concepts that are difficult to compare on a basic level.
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What is SOAP?
Simple object access protocol (SOAP) is an API development protocol developed to bring stability and consistency to the data transfer process across applications built using diverse programming languages, tools, and environments.
It offers a globally acknowledged set of guidelines that must be followed by anybody wishing to ensure flawless client-server interaction. SOAP requests are delivered in the form of packets. These packets include vital information for request processing. The SOAP packet's main components are the header and body properties.
Features of SOAP
- It is written in XML (Extensible Markup Language), which is similar to HTML.
- SOAP consumes a lot of bandwidth for message processing since SOAP messages include a lot of data.
- SOAP provides built-in error handling.
When to use SOAP
- Designing private APIs for large businesses. SOAP is excellent for commercial solutions as it allows data transfer in a decentralized, distributed manner and offers several online security safeguards.
- For employing stateful operations. Calls to SOAP APIs are stateful, which means the server saves information about the client and uses that knowledge over a sequence of requests or a chain of activities. While this needs additional server resources and bandwidth, it's critical for executing recurring activities, such as bank transfers.
- Transport protocol independent. Since SOAP is not reliant on an underlying transport protocol, developers don't need to use HTTP. Depending on the program, they can use a simple mail transfer protocol ( SMTP), java messaging service (JMS), or another transport protocol.
What is a REST API?
Representational state transfer (REST) aims to address SOAP's shortcomings and provide a more user-friendly manner of accessing online services. REST is a form of architectural pattern frequently used in building modern web-based applications.
A REST API can be either basic or highly sophisticated, depending on how it's developed, what is added to it, and the purpose for which it's designed. They are appropriate when resources are constrained, strict security is not essential, browser client compatibility is crucial, and data integrity and scalability are required.
Features of REST
- REST is all about convenience, thanks to HTTP protocols.
- It uses a single standard interface that streamlines interactions across apps.
- REST uses JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) as its data format rather than XML, making it more browser-friendly with greater performance and scalability.
When to use REST
- Build public APIs. REST APIs are easier to use and embrace than SOAP APIs, making them excellent for developing public web services. REST also lacks some of the built-in security measures that SOAP provides — but they aren't required when interacting with open data and services.
- Developing mobile apps. REST is suitable for building mobile apps as it's lightweight, effective, stateless, and cacheable.
- Manage with finite system resources and bandwidth. All requests to a REST API are stateless, which means that each interaction is independent and contains all of the data needed to complete that interaction. As the server treats each request as if it were the first, the server doesn't keep track of previous requests. This significantly lowers the amount of server memory needed and increases efficiency as the server isn't required to undertake additional actions or retrieve previous data when completing a request.