 - REST (representational state transfer) is an approach for getting information content from a Web site by reading a designated Web page that contains an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file that describes and includes the desired content. For example, REST could be used by an online publisher to make syndicated content available. Periodically, the publisher would prepare and activate a Web page that included content and XML statements that described the content. Subscribers would need only to know the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the page where the XML file was located, read it with a Web browser, interpret the content data using the XML information, and reformat and use it appropriately (perhaps in some form of online publication).
As described in a dissertation by Roy Fielding, REST is an "architectural style" that basically exploits the existing technology and protocols of the Web, including HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and XML. REST is simpler to use than the well-known SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) approach, which requires writing or using a provided server program (to serve data) and a client program (to request data). SOAP, however, offers potentially more capability. For example, a syndicator that wanted to include up-to-date stock prices to subscribing Web sites might need to use SOAP, which allows a greater amount of program interaction between client and server.
REST is consistent with an information publishing approach that a number of Web log sites use to describe some aspects of their site content, called RDF Site Summary (RSS). RSS uses the Resource Description Framework (RDF), a standard way to describe a Web site or other Internet resource.
 | Getting started with REST |
| To explore how the REST is used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources: | | Representational State Transfer (REST) Tutorial: This learning guide delves into the basics of representational state transfer (REST), its progress in various app dev tooling platforms and its uses inside of a service-oriented architecture. |
|
Learn more about Representational State Transfer (REST) |
| Representational State Transfer - REST Tutorial: This learning guide will delve into the basics of representational state transfer (REST), its progress in various app dev tooling platforms and its uses inside of a SOA. |
| How Ruby on Rails and REST go together: The Rails framework for building Web applications in the dynamic Ruby language is now focused on the REST approach, says the author of a new book of Rails recipes. |
| Is Ruby on Rails ready for enterprise SOA?: Ruby on Rails promises ease in RESTful SOA development, but for it to move up to enterprise class, developers need to know how to make it scalable. |
| Java One: Mule architect looks to bring REST to SOA: In a conversation at JavaOne, MuleSource's Dan Diephouse, talks about his work on Mule Galaxy, the REST-based open source registry/repository that is going GA later this month. |
| Mule architect sees REST with Atom rising, UDDI fading: Dan Diephouse, the creator of XFire and software architect at MuleSource Inc., discusses the advantages in using REST and the Atom Publishing Protocol. |
| Report on REST- REpresentational State Transfer: Web services added a host of WS* standards that met different enterprise computing needs. SearchSOA.com continues to update news on an alternative mechanism, REST. |
| Representational State Transfer - REST Tutorial: This learning guide will delve into the basics of representational state transfer (REST), its progress in various app dev tooling platforms and its uses inside of a SOA. |
| Restlet framework wrestles RESTful Web applications: Restlet is an open source Java-based framework for creating RESTful Web services. It includes support for WADL and annotations. Read this overview to learn more. |
| REST with Axis, Struts, ColdFusion and WCF: The popularity of REST style programming is causing older development frameworks like Axis, Struts, ColdFusion and WCF to add REST support. |
| WOA is me - Another acronym? WOA and SOA: Ronald Schmelzer explains the ample discussion around Web Oriented Architecture (WOA) and if it has any major significance in a SOA world. |
| LAST UPDATED: |
21 Jul 2008
|
 |
Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.
Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com
|
|
More resources from around the web:
|
|
Show me everything on 
