Using REST API For Cloud-Based Applications Can Reduce Code Duplication

Today, cloud-based applications have become widespread. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many more that you use are cloud-based applications. All these apps also have one thing in common, and it is the REST API. Yes, the REST API has become almost a standard for creating APIs for internet services. While the term REST stands for REpresentational State Transfer, API is an acronym for Application Program Interface.

While the developers of client-side APIs focus on the user interface and aesthetics of the application, developers of server-side APIs emphasize more on enhancing functionality of the application. Regardless of where the API will be employed, developers now lean towards using RESTful APIs because of the flexibility and versatility that they offer.

The REST API architecture not only helps in reducing code duplication in cloud-based applications but is also simple to use in comparison to other standard data exchange protocols like SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).

The problem of code duplication in apps

Due to time constraints, many developers or coders end up copy-pasting code from an existing app. They then adopt the same for the new app currently in the development phase. They do code duplication because of the convenience that it offers. In first glance, the approach looks appropriate because it saves valuable time that goes in app development. Also, the approach causes limited strain on the brain. However, things are not always like they appear. Code duplication led to several problems like an increase in the app size, redundant complexity, need for fixing bugs at multiple places, and so on. The last one is similar to repairing a car which its owner is driving on a busy road. Thus, more time gets wasted despite the initial fast development process.

How REST API reduce code duplication in cloud-based apps?

Without being tied to the web, REST API can be used wherever there is HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol). HTTP is the protocol that facilitates easy transfer of documents over the web. Again cloud-based apps are the ones where all the heavy-lifting is done on the cloud, but web browsers are often the most logical choice to interact with them. To access any information, the client in REST API architecture mainly uses some HTTP commands. Developing understanding of these commands will help you to decode how REST API helps in reducing code duplication in cloud-based apps. These commands are as follows:

  • GET to retrieve a specified resource
  • POST for creating a new resource
  • PUT to update an existing resource
  • DELETE to delete an existing resource

For example, when the REST API client gives the HTTP command “GET https://api.toys.com/customers/”, the REST API gives a client response by retrieving all the names of customers from the toy seller’s website. Of all the HTTP commands used by the REST API architecture, GET, PUT and DELETE achieve the same result irrespective of how many times the client request is repeated which, in turn, eliminates the possibility of any error due to the presence of duplicate code in the app.

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