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What is Difference Between Rest API and Graph API

REST and Graph APIs are two different types of APIs used for different purposes, though they share some common characteristics. Here's a breakdown of the key differences.

1. REST API (Representational State Transfer)

  • REST is an architectural style for designing networked applications, particularly web applications.
  • REST APIs are based on a set of principles that define how networked resources are accessed and manipulated.
  • REST APIs typically use standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on resources.
  • Responses from a REST API are often in formats like JSON or XML.
  • REST APIs are generally more generic and can be used for a wide range of applications.

REST API Example

Let's say we have a simple REST API for managing tasks:

  • Endpoint to retrieve all tasks: GET /tasks
  • Endpoint to retrieve a specific task: GET /tasks/{taskId}
  • Endpoint to create a new task: POST /tasks
  • Endpoint to update a task: PUT /tasks/{taskId}
  • Endpoint to delete a task: DELETE /tasks/{taskId}

Example request to create a new task

POST /tasks
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Complete project report",
  "description": "Finish the project report and submit it by Friday",
  "dueDate": "2024-03-10"
}

Example response

{
  "id": 123,
  "title": "Complete project report",
  "description": "Finish the project report and submit it by Friday",
  "dueDate": "2024-03-10",
  "status": "incomplete"
}

2. Graph API

  • Graph APIs are a type of API designed specifically for accessing and manipulating graph data structures.
  • Graph APIs often provide a higher level of abstraction than traditional REST APIs, particularly for dealing with graph-like data models.
  • Microsoft's Graph API, for example, is a unified endpoint that allows developers to access data and functionality across various Microsoft services such as Office 365, Azure Active Directory, Outlook, OneDrive, etc.
  • Graph APIs often provide rich querying capabilities that allow developers to traverse and query graph data efficiently.
  • Graph APIs might use RESTful principles under the hood but offer additional functionality tailored to working with graph data.

Graph API Example

Let's consider Microsoft Graph API, which provides access to data and functionality across Microsoft services:

  • Endpoint to retrieve user information: GET /me
  • Endpoint to retrieve user's calendar events: GET /me/calendar/events
  • Endpoint to retrieve user's contacts: GET /me/contacts
  • Endpoint to send an email: POST /me/sendMail

Example request to send an email

POST /me/sendMail
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "message": {
    "subject": "Meeting Reminder",
    "body": {
      "content": "Don't forget our meeting tomorrow at 10 AM."
    },
    "toRecipients": [
      {
        "emailAddress": {
          "address": "[email protected]"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Example response

{
  "id": "AAMkAGYwNDI1YWEwLTQ2M2YtNDJhNS1hZjUwLWNhMjMxMjJjYzE4NwBGAAAAAACaF5x...",
  "subject": "Meeting Reminder",
  "body": {
    "content": "Don't forget our meeting tomorrow at 10 AM."
  },
  "toRecipients": [
    {
      "emailAddress": {
        "address": "[email protected]"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Summary

While both REST APIs and Graph APIs facilitate interaction with data over a network, Graph APIs are specifically designed for working with graph data structures and often provide higher-level abstractions and functionality tailored to that purpose.


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