Smart APIs are RESTful, which means they are:
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Client-Server - The client and server are separate entities, with the client requesting resources from the server, which then sends back a response.
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Stateless:
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Each request contains all the information necessary for the server to fulfill it, without relying on any context or session information from previous requests.
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The server does not store any client information.
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Cacheable - Responses from the server can be cached by clients.
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Uniform Interface - The API has a standardized way of communicating, with clear and consistent formats for requests and responses.
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Layered System - The API is designed with multiple layers, with each layer handling a specific aspect of communication. This allows for scalability and flexibility in the system design.
While there is no single REST organization as there is for OAuth or OIDC, you can easily learn more about REST from your favorite internet resources, such as:
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Free eLearning sites - For example, the How to Use REST APIs – A Complete Beginner's Guide tutorial from freeCodeCamp or the RESTful Web Services tutorial from W3 Schools
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Paid eLearning sites - For example, the Learning REST APIs course on LinkedIn Learning, or sections covering REST in courses on Udemy, the API and web service introduction course from Udemy