Pro PHP Security: From Application Security Principles to the Implementation of XSS Defenses, Second Edition

What Is REST?

In a typical REST architecture, a client sends a request to the server, which responds with a representation of the requested resource. A resource can be almost any informational object, like a database or a document, and its representation is usually a formatted document (often XML or JSON) that acts as a snapshot of its current or requested state.

REST resources are typically identified using meaningful URLs that accept different request “verbs”—GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. These verbs are somewhat analogous to the create-retrieve-update-delete (CRUD) model that many developers are familiar with.

For example, if you want to retrieve data safely (in other words, with idempotence, or not changing anything while doing so), use a GET ...