Objectives of API Testing

• Requirement gathering: Ensuring that the API functions correctly and meets the requirements of the client applications that use it. This can help prevent errors and improve the user experience of those applications.
• Security measures: Verifying that the API is secure and protects sensitive data from unauthorized access. This can help prevent data breaches and protect the integrity of the API.
• Scalability: Making sure that the API is scalable and can handle many requests without performance degradation. This can help prevent bottlenecks and improve the overall reliability of the API.
• Bugs and Patches: Identifying potential bugs or issues with the API, and fixing them before they affect users. This can help prevent downtime and improve the stability of the API.
• Documentation Validity: Validating that the API is consistent with its documentation and other specifications and adheres to best practices and industry standards. This can help improve the maintainability and long-term viability of the API.

REST, or Representational State Transfer, is a type of software architecture that is commonly used for building web services and APIs. A REST API is an application programming interface (API) that uses REST principles to expose data and functionality for client applications to access. REST APIs are typically based on the HTTP protocol and use HTTP methods (like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE) to specify actions, along with HTTP response codes to indicate the outcome of those actions.

REST APIs are like a set of rules that help different computer programs understand each other and work together. They make it possible for different websites and apps to share information and data with each other. 

For example, let’s say you have a weather app on your phone. The app uses a REST API to connect to a weather website and get the latest information about the weather. The app then uses this information to show you the current temperature and other details about the weather in your area.

Why are REST APIs Important?

REST APIs are important because they make it easy for different computer programs to work together and share information. This helps create a more connected and efficient internet. They use a set of standard rules and protocols, like HTTP, to make sure that different computer programs can communicate with each other in a consistent and predictable way. This makes it easier for developers to build websites and apps that can share information and data with other websites and apps. These REST APIs are also designed to be flexible and scalable, so they can handle a large number of requests and users without crashing or slowing down. This allows websites and apps to grow and evolve over time without losing their ability to share information with other programs.