Re: How much REST should your Web API get?

On 02.05.2013, at 13:24, "jerome.louvel" <[email protected]> wrote:

> After living with REST for 10 years and introducing in 2005 the first REST framework for Java (http://restlet.org), I felt that by pushing REST too far we are just trying to make it solve problems it was designed for in the first place.
> 
> In this blog post, I tried to formalize a "Web API" architecture style and contrast it with REST, then introduce the idea of cross-device web sites as wrapping the power of both styles:
> http://blog.restlet.com/2013/05/02/how-much-rest-should-your-web-api-get/
> 
> Interested in hearing what you think!

I remain a strong proponent of the idea that it is more fruitful to aim at rethinking the problem to fit a sound paradigm rather than to blame the paradigm for not fitting the problem (one's perceived view of it, that is).

Two concrete points:

I don't buy the efficiency argument regarding discovery and granularity of messages - unless you ignore caching and the possibility to tailor representations for specific devices.

You write about the 'Web API style' "requires coordination between clients and servers when changes are deployed" - doh... this eliminates *the* (**the**) primary benefit to apply REST.

Aside from systems that focus on sending fine grained control messages around in (near) realtime, I have yet to see a case where REST does not shine due to performance, scalability and the ability to decentralize management of the deployment and release cycles. 

Jan



> 
> Best regards,
> Jerome
> 
> PS: sorry for those also following the "API-Craft" mailing list, but the topic is right at the crossing of both communities.
> 
> 



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