REST (Representational State Transfer)
Rest is a definition of a standard for networking transferring invented by Roy Fielding
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
HTTP uses a TCP connection. HTTP is an implementation of REST based on its core principles. The basis of the internet, HTTP has a few defining features.
- HTTP is connectionless. After making a request, the client disconnects from the server. When the response is ready, the server re-establishes connection
- HTTP can deliver any sort of data
- HTTP is stateless. The client and server know about eachother for the duration they are connected.
History
HTTP was designed mainly to fetch HTML documents. It was written well enough that eventually became the primary form of all data communication.
Client/Server Paradigm
The HTTP communication is the following:
- A client first establishes a TCP/IP connection to a server
- Once establish, a REQUEST HTTP message is sent.
- The client then disconnects
- The server prepares a response
- The server then establishes a connection to the client over TCP/IP
- The server send a HTTP RESPONSE message
- The server disconnects
HTTP Message Format
- Start Line
- Headers
- Body
All contain plaintext, though the body may contain binary data.
Request Message Method: GET/POST/PUT/DELETE URI: Readable characters pathing to the requested file. HTTP Version