What is Rest API?

A REST API, or Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface, is like a special way for different computer programs to talk to each other over the internet. It follows specific rules called REST architecture. With a REST API, programs can share and exchange information in a standardized way.

Here’s the basic idea :

• Resources : Think of resources as things like user profiles or lists of products that the API deals with. Each resource has its own unique address called a URI, kind of like a web address.
• HTTP Methods : When a program wants to do something with a resource, like get data or update it, it uses HTTP methods. These methods include GET (for getting data), POST (for creating new data), PUT (for updating existing data), and DELETE (for removing data).
• Statelessness : A fancy word that means each request from a program to the API has everything the API needs to understand and fulfill it. There's no need to remember anything from previous requests.

Uniform Interfaces : REST APIs use standard ways of doing things, like using well-known HTTP methods and having clear rules for how resource addresses are structured.

What is Flask Framework?

Flask is like a mini toolkit for making websites and APIs. It's super light and easy to pick up, perfect for beginners. The cool thing about Flask is that it's really flexible. You can add or remove features as you like, depending on what your project needs. It's like building with Lego blocks – you can customize your creation however you want.

• Flask keeps things simple with its clean and easy-to-understand code. Even if you're just starting out, you'll find it easy to work with.
• It comes with some handy tools built-in. There's a special server for testing your website, and a debugger to help you find and fix any mistakes you make along the way.

If you ever need extra stuff for your project, Flask has got you covered. There's a whole bunch of extra tools and add-ons you can use, all made by other developers like you.

What is Flask Restful?

Flask-RESTful is like a helper kit for Flask, the web framework in Python. It's specifically designed to make building RESTful APIs easier.

• Flask-RESTful introduces this idea of resources, which are like blueprints for different parts of your API. Each resource has methods that match the actions you can do with it, like getting data or adding new stuff.
• With Flask-RESTful, each method in a resource class should match the HTTP action it handles, like GET or POST. This makes things sort and predictable.
• Flask-RESTful helps you make sense of the data coming in from requests. It's like helping you unpack a box and sort its contents so you can use them easily.

Understanding HTTP Requests Through Flask Rest API

HTTP requests play a crucial role in communication between clients and servers in web development. In Flask, a popular web framework for Python, understanding how to handle these requests is essential, especially when building REST APIs.

• GET : Used for retrieving data from a server.
• POST : Used for sending data to a server to create a new resource.
• PUT : Used for sending data to update an existing resource.
• DELETE : Used for deleting a resource from the server.

Each route has a function associated with it, which contains the logic to handle the request. This logic typically involves interacting with a database to retrieve, modify, or delete data.

Conclusion

In this guide, we've covered the basics of building RESTful APIs with Python and Flask. While we've only scratched the surface, Flask provides a powerful foundation for creating APIs of varying complexity. Experiment with additional features like request validation, authentication, and database integration to enhance your API further. Happy coding.