As a senior engineer interested in Math, coding, algorithmic trading, and analytics with a background in algo trading in C++ and R programming in statistics, you may already be familiar with various computational concepts and data manipulation techniques. In this lesson, we will explore the fundamentals of REST APIs and how they can be leveraged in your coding journey!

What are REST APIs?

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications. It provides a standardized approach for building web services that are scalable, stateless, and facilitate communication between clients and servers over the internet.

REST APIs are designed around a set of principles:

1. Client-Server Relationship: REST APIs follow a client-server model where clients (such as web or mobile applications) send requests to servers (which store and manage resources).

2. Stateless Communication: Each request from the client must contain all the necessary information for the server to understand and process the request. The server does not retain information about past requests.

3. Uniform Interface: REST APIs use a uniform and consistent set of rules (i.e., HTTP methods) to interact with resources located on the server. The HTTP methods commonly used in REST APIs are GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH.

4. Resource-based Architecture: REST APIs treat everything as a resource, which can be a collection of related data or a singular entity. Each resource is identified by a unique URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

REST APIs can be used to perform various actions, such as retrieving data, creating new resources, updating existing resources, and deleting resources.

1#include <iostream>
2using namespace std;
3
4int main() {
5  // Making a GET request to retrieve data from a REST API
6  cout << "Making a GET request..." << endl;
7
8  // Logic for making a GET request
9
10  return 0;
11}

Why REST APIs?

REST APIs have gained popularity due to their simplicity, scalability, and compatibility with various programming languages and platforms. Some benefits of using REST APIs include:

• Simplicity: REST APIs are easy to understand and implement. They use standard HTTP methods for communication and embrace a resource-oriented approach.

• Scalability: REST APIs support distributed systems by allowing clients and servers to evolve independently. They can handle high traffic loads and are suitable for building microservices and serverless architectures.

• Compatibility: REST APIs can communicate with various programming languages and platforms as long as they understand and adhere to the HTTP protocol.

As a senior engineer interested in algorithmic trading and analytics, you can leverage REST APIs to fetch real-time market data, execute trades, and analyze historical data in your preferred programming languages, such as C++ and R.

In the upcoming sections of this lesson, we will delve deeper into different aspects of working with REST APIs, including making HTTP requests, handling API responses, authentication and authorization, error handling, design patterns, testing and debugging, and best practices. Let's explore the exciting world of REST APIs together!