What is APIs REST/SOAP?

REST (Representational State Transfer) and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) are both architectural styles and protocols for building web APIs. REST APIs are lightweight, use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), and typically transfer data in JSON or XML. They are widely used for building scalable and flexible web services. SOAP APIs are more structured, rely on XML messaging, and often use the WS-* standards for security and reliability. SOAP is commonly used in enterprise environments where stricter contracts and security are required.