1.
An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of rules and protocols that allows
different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. It defines the
methods and data structures that developers can use to access the functionality of a particular
software component, service, or platform.
There are several types of APIs, including:
1. Web APIs: These are APIs that are accessible over the internet and are often used for web
services and data exchange. Examples include RESTful APIs, SOAP APIs, and GraphQL APIs.
2. Operating System APIs: These are APIs provided by an operating system to allow software
applications to interact with the underlying hardware and system resources. Examples include
Windows API and POSIX API.
3. Library or Framework APIs: These APIs are provided by software libraries or frameworks to
offer pre-built functions and tools for specific programming tasks. For example, the Java API
provides classes and methods for Java application development.
4. Hardware APIs: These APIs allow software to communicate directly with hardware
components, such as graphics cards or sensors. They are often used in low-level system
development.
5. Database APIs: These APIs provide a way for software applications to interact with
databases. Examples include JDBC for Java and ODBC for C/C++.
2.
API protocols are sets of rules and conventions that determine how software components
should communicate. They define the structure and format of data exchanged between different
systems, ensuring seamless interaction.
Here are some of the most popular ones:
1. REST (Representational State Transfer): REST is an architectural style for designing
networked applications. It relies on standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and is
often used for web APIs.
2. SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol): SOAP is a protocol that uses XML to structure data
and operates over various transport protocols, including HTTP, SMTP, and more.
REST API :-
A REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface) is a type of
web API that follows a set of architectural constraints and principles for designing networked
applications. REST is not a specific protocol but a style of designing APIs, and it is widely used
for web services due to its simplicity and scalability.
Key characteristics of a REST API include:
1. Statelessness: Each request from a client to a server must contain all the information
needed to understand and fulfill the request.
2. Resources: In REST, resources are identified by URLs, and clients interact with these
resources by making HTTP requests.
3. Representations: Resources can have multiple representations, typically in formats like
JSON or XML. Clients can specify the desired representation in their requests, and the server
responds accordingly.
3.
An endpoint in the context of web APIs refers to a specific URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or
URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) that represents a resource or a service that a client can
access. It's like a digital address that the client uses to interact with a particular part of the API.
Here's how endpoints work in a REST API:
1. Resource Identification: Each endpoint corresponds to a specific resource or collection of
resources. For example, in a REST API for a bookstore, you might have endpoints like:
- `/books` to access a list of books.
- `/books/{id}` to access a specific book by its unique identifier.
2. HTTP Methods: Clients interact with these endpoints by making HTTP requests using
standard methods. The most common HTTP methods used with endpoints are:
- GET: Used to retrieve data from the server.
- POST: Used to create new resources on the server.
- PUT: Used to update or replace an existing resource.
- DELETE: Used to remove a resource.
3. Request and Response: When a client sends an HTTP request to an endpoint, it specifies
the method and may include additional data in the request (e.g., query parameters or a request
body). The server processes the request based on the endpoint and method, then generates an
HTTP response. The response typically contains data and status information.
4. Status Codes: The HTTP response includes a status code that indicates the outcome of the
request. Common status codes include 200 (OK), 201 (Created), 404 (Not Found), and 500
(Internal Server Error), among others.
5. Data Representation: The response often includes the requested data represented in a
specific format, such as JSON or XML, which the client can then use or display.
4.
Spring REST architecture based on Spring MVC is a design approach for building web services
using the Spring Framework's Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern. Here's a concise
explanation :
1. Spring Framework: Spring is a robust Java framework that simplifies enterprise application
development by providing various features, including dependency injection and aspect-oriented
programming.
2. Spring MVC: Spring MVC is a component within the Spring Framework that focuses on
creating web applications. It employs the MVC architectural pattern, where the Model
represents the application's data and business logic, the View manages the presentation layer,
and the Controller controls the application's flow.
3. REST Architecture: In the context of Spring, a RESTful architecture follows the principles of
Representational State Transfer (REST).
4. Role of Controllers: In Spring REST architecture, Controllers play a central role. They
receive incoming HTTP requests, process them, and produce suitable HTTP responses. Spring
MVC simplifies the development of RESTful services by offering annotations like
`@RestController` for creating RESTful controllers and `@RequestMapping` for mapping URLs
to methods.
5. Data Exchange: Data is often exchanged in common formats such as JSON or XML, and
Spring integrates with libraries like Jackson or JAXB for data serialization and deserialization.
5.
NoSQL:
NoSQL stands for "Not Only SQL" and refers to a category of database management systems
that are designed to handle various data models, especially those that are not suited for
traditional relational databases.
Features:-
1. Schema flexibility for diverse data structures.
2. Horizontal scalability for high data loads.
3. Ideal for unstructured and semi-structured data.
4. Supports eventual consistency in distributed systems.
5. Efficient for real-time data processing and analytics.
MongoDB:
MongoDB is a widely used NoSQL database that falls under the category of a document-based
database. It is designed to store and manage data in JSON-like documents, offering flexibility in
schema design.
Features:-
1. Document-Oriented: MongoDB stores data as flexible and schema-less JSON-like
documents.
2. Scalability: It offers horizontal scaling and replication for handling large datasets and high
traffic.
3. Rich Query Language: MongoDB supports powerful querying and indexing for data retrieval.
4. Geospatial and Text Search: Provides geospatial and full-text search capabilities.
5. Dynamic Schemas: Ideal for applications with evolving or dynamic data structures.
6.
MongoDB supports a variety of operations for managing and manipulating data. Here are
different types of MongoDB operations:
1. CRUD Operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete):
- Create (Insert): You can insert new documents into a collection.
- Read (Query): Retrieve data using queries, with filtering, projection, and sorting options.
- Update: Modify existing documents by updating specific fields or replacing entire
documents.
- Delete: Remove documents based on specified criteria.
2. Aggregation Framework: MongoDB's Aggregation Framework is for advanced data
processing and analysis. It supports operations like grouping, filtering, sorting, and applying
expressions to data.
3. Indexing: You can create indexes on fields in your documents to significantly improve query
performance. Common index types include single-field, compound, text, and geospatial indexes.
4. Geospatial Operations: MongoDB supports geospatial capabilities, allowing you to work with
location-based data, perform geospatial queries, store geospatial coordinates, and calculate
distances between points.
5. Text Search: MongoDB includes full-text search capabilities, which are essential for
applications requiring text-based search functionality.
