Comments on: A bit on RESTful webservices http://www.conradstrydom.com/2009/02/10/a-bit-on-restful-webservices/ views and commentary from a web engineer Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:33:36 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Stii http://www.conradstrydom.com/2009/02/10/a-bit-on-restful-webservices/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Stii Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:50:32 +0000 http://conradstrydom.wordpress.com/?p=116#comment-35 No, I hear you! REST is not a silver bullet. There are some instances (like your example) where it is not 100% practical. No, I hear you! REST is not a silver bullet. There are some instances (like your example) where it is not 100% practical.

]]> By: Dewald Botha http://www.conradstrydom.com/2009/02/10/a-bit-on-restful-webservices/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Dewald Botha Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:28:15 +0000 http://conradstrydom.wordpress.com/?p=116#comment-34 @Stii: Yip - i agree, but the problem I always found with REST is when you try to go too deep into the rabbit hole. Take for example a call where one would like to pull all users from a site with a user ID between 1 and 10, who has joined between 2008 and 2009 with the surname 'DOE'. You could translate that into a REST URI, but it would end up probably being longer than the wall of China. I think one has too find a balance between using a stateless interface such as REST and something such as XML-RPC or SOAP. Maybe a RESTful SOAP service - ROAP. :-) @Stii: Yip – i agree, but the problem I always found with REST is when you try to go too deep into the rabbit hole.

Take for example a call where one would like to pull all users from a site with a user ID between 1 and 10, who has joined between 2008 and 2009 with the surname ‘DOE’.

You could translate that into a REST URI, but it would end up probably being longer than the wall of China.

I think one has too find a balance between using a stateless interface such as REST and something such as XML-RPC or SOAP.

Maybe a RESTful SOAP service – ROAP. :-)

]]> By: Stii http://www.conradstrydom.com/2009/02/10/a-bit-on-restful-webservices/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Stii Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:09:43 +0000 http://conradstrydom.wordpress.com/?p=116#comment-33 Dewald, I think there is a quest for API and site to become one. I.o.w. if you have RPC web services you always have to maintain it separately to your site. REST allows you to sort of close that gap in that both human and machine can use the same thing. Dewald, I think there is a quest for API and site to become one. I.o.w. if you have RPC web services you always have to maintain it separately to your site. REST allows you to sort of close that gap in that both human and machine can use the same thing.

]]> By: Conrad http://www.conradstrydom.com/2009/02/10/a-bit-on-restful-webservices/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Conrad Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:32:23 +0000 http://conradstrydom.wordpress.com/?p=116#comment-32 IMHO the biggest difference between REST and RPC is that REST is noun based (don't confuse with the HTTP verbs) and RPC is verb based. Example of REST noun interaction: /user/1 vs RPC verb interaction getUser: 1 The main difference here is that the REST implementation has a single unified interface to your objects (nouns) and is easy to use for developers when adding new objects etc. The appropriate verbs to use with RPC is not that obvious from the word go and the net effect of a particular action is not that clear either and may become ambigious. Anyhow .. just my 2 cents. IMHO the biggest difference between REST and RPC is that REST is noun based (don’t confuse with the HTTP verbs) and RPC is verb based.

Example of REST noun interaction:
/user/1

vs RPC verb interaction
getUser: 1

The main difference here is that the REST implementation has a single unified interface to your objects (nouns) and is easy to use for developers when adding new objects etc.

The appropriate verbs to use with RPC is not that obvious from the word go and the net effect of a particular action is not that clear either and may become ambigious. Anyhow .. just my 2 cents.

]]> By: Dewald Botha http://www.conradstrydom.com/2009/02/10/a-bit-on-restful-webservices/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Dewald Botha Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:01:46 +0000 http://conradstrydom.wordpress.com/?p=116#comment-31 In theory rest seems like an easy solution, but if you are like me you'd prefer the soap/xml-rpc way of doing things. Okay, I know it is easy to just simply PUT something to an human readable URI, but what's wrong with calling a function with xml-rpc/soap. Doesn't it kind of keep the flavor going with the idea of using objects and functions. Well, thats just me. In theory rest seems like an easy solution, but if you are like me you’d prefer the soap/xml-rpc way of doing things.

Okay, I know it is easy to just simply PUT something to an human readable URI, but what’s wrong with calling a function with xml-rpc/soap.

Doesn’t it kind of keep the flavor going with the idea of using objects and functions.

Well, thats just me.

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