Terminology

Term	Explanation
API (Application Programming Interface)	A set of rules that allows two software systems to communicate. It defines how requests should be made and what responses to expect.
Client	The system (like a browser or mobile app) that sends requests to an API.
Server	The system that receives API requests, processes them, and returns responses.
Endpoint	A specific URL or route in an API that represents an action or data source. Example: /users or /products/123.
Request	The message sent by the client to the API, asking for data or action.
Response	The message sent by the API back to the client after processing a request.
HTTP Method (Verb)	The action the client wants to perform. Common ones: GET (read), POST (create), PUT (update), DELETE (remove).
Resource	A unit of data in an API. In REST APIs, resources are typically represented as nouns in the URL, such as users, orders, or products.
Path Parameter	A variable in the URL path used to identify a specific resource. Example: /users/{id}.
Query Parameter	A key-value pair added to the URL to filter or refine the request. Example: /users?active=true.
Header	Key-value pairs sent along with the request or response to provide metadata like content type or authorization.
Body	The main content or data sent with a request (especially in POST, PUT) or returned in a response.
Status Code	A numeric code in the response that tells whether the request succeeded or failed. Example: 200 OK, 404 Not Found.
Authentication	The process of verifying the identity of the client making the API call.
API Consumer	The system or developer that uses the API to perform operations or access data.
API Provider	The system or service that exposes the API and responds to incoming requests.
Statelessness	A principle where each API request is independent and doesn't rely on past requests. Common in REST APIs.