CODEWITHSUNDEEP
web-servicesrest
thesquaregroot
thesquaregroot

Reputation: 1452

Is there a standard term for an HTTP web service that is not RESTful or for a call to such a web service?

There is clearly a LOT of misunderstanding surrounding the term REST. Many people still seem to tie it directly to HTTP, or even equate the two, simple because they often come together. I'll admit, I'm still improving my understanding of when the term "REST" is applicable.

However, there are clearly (in my mind) web service that support the transfer/retrieval of formatted data (e.g. JSON, XML, etc.) that do not deal in hypermedia or the details of a more general protocol like SOAP. In general the concept of web services seems to be overly conflated with protocols and architectures when in many cases a simple query string key-value pair request and a 1 or 0 as a response would suffice (and probably cut down on development time and application dependencies). Why all the fluff all the time?

I imagine I can't be the only one looking at things this way—so is it possible to avoid the buzz-words and get across the concept of a simple, custom-data HTTP web service? Or am I being overly semantic when I should just be saying "REST"?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 49

Answers (1)

Bogdan
Bogdan

Reputation: 24580

Is there a standard term for an HTTP web service that is not RESTful or for a call to such a web service?

A custom web service, you said it yourself, or maybe a WebAPI, or HTTP API ?!?

A web service is a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network. There are lots of ways to implement one and a simple query string key-value pair request and a 1 or 0 as a response would indeed suffice.

This is about the audience.

If this is an internal service, you can build it however you want and name it however you like. But if you want to expose it to clients or users, other than yourself, then you really only have to choices: SOAP or REST.

Why?

Because of existing tools, existing documentation, existing experience, available libraries, support in servers, languages etc.

The title of your question expresses this: you are looking for a term, something that people understand what it means. Right now people understand SOAP and they (think they) understand REST.

Upvotes: 1

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