Hands-On APIs for AI and Data Science

Chapter 2. Selecting Your API Architecture

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In Chapter 1, you began your portfolio project by understanding the user needs and selecting use cases to fulfill. That initial work is critical to make sure you build the right products to fulfill real customer needs. In this chapter, you will begin developing the architecture you will use to build your first APIs.

API Architectural Styles

One of the most significant decisions to make is selecting the API architectural style you will be using. Since you are using a consumer-centric design process, it follows that one of your first goals would be to use a style that is widely supported and understood by potential consumers. The Postman 2023 State of the API Report found these were the top five API architectural styles:

• REST: 86%

• WebHooks: 36%

• GraphQL:29%

• SOAP:26%

• WebSockets:25%

• gRPC:11%

The overwhelming popularity of REST found in the survey is consistent ...