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I regularly interview devs and ask, "What makes a RESTful API RESTful?" and have never heard anyone mention hypertext or hypermedia. A typical answer is: state

I regularly interview devs and ask, "What makes a RESTful API RESTful?" and have never heard anyone mention hypertext or hypermedia. A typical answer is: stateless, uses HTTP and HTTP verbs, and (if the person is over 40) easier to read than SOAP. Related, it seems like "API" is quickly becoming synonymous with "web service API". In my experience, the thing that goes between two classes is almost always referred to as an "interface" only.

maxrev17 4y ago
But but but they mentioned hypertext in http..
kornork 4y ago
It used to be one of my favorite pet peeves when folks would put "expert at RESTful APIs" on their resumes. In interviews, I would ask, "What makes an API RESTful?" and wait gleefully for them to stutter and stumble towards an answer. I would accept any kind of answer, and it was only really a mark against you if you couldn't dredge up something about "resources" or "HTTP verbs," or even just express some kind of awareness that there were other kinds of API. It wasn't unusual for someone to just have no clue. Maybe that makes me a grammar nazi or a*, and maybe adding that was just a way for kids with one internship under their belt to pad their experience, but I always felt like you should know the words on your resume. I guess now that I know about this "hypermedia" requirement, I should be a little more forgiving?