What is Representational State Transfer (REST)?

REST is a key concept in SAP Integration Suite, especially for API design. Let’s define it:

Step 1: REST Overview- REST (Representational State Transfer) was introduced by Roy Fielding in his 2000 dissertation as a way to design networked applications.

Step 2: Evaluate Options-

A. An architectural style: REST defines principles (e.g., statelessness, client-server, resource-based) for building scalable web services, not a concrete protocol or language.

B. An application protocol: Protocols like HTTP implement REST, but REST itself isn’t a protocol.

C. A message protocol: REST uses protocols (e.g., HTTP), but it’s not a messaging standard like AMQP.

D. A description language for APIs: Languages like OpenAPI describe REST APIs, but REST is the underlying style.

Step 3: REST in SAP- In SAP Integration Suite, RESTful APIs (e.g., via HTTP or OData adapters) follow this architectural style for integration.

Step 4: Official Verification- The SAP Help Portal’s "REST API Development" and Fielding’s dissertation define REST as an architectural style, not a protocol or language.

Conclusion: Option A is the verified answer.References:

SAP Help Portal: "REST API Development" (SAP Integration Suite)

Roy Fielding: "Architectural Styles and the Design of Network-based Software Architectures"