GraphQL has made an excellent entree on the API scene. It is reintroducing the original concepts of RPC-style architecture with a revolutionary API consumer-oriented approach. It brought a new option to the stalled waters of RESTful APIs. But more importantly, GraphQL brought back the principal question: What is the right API architectural style for my project? If you are building an API, this talk should give you enough of the theoretical background to make the right API-decision for your product. In this talk, we will take a critical look at predominant API architectural style – RESTful APIs and put it in contrast to GraphQL and Hypermedia APIs. We will discuss the expected properties of distributed systems, the consequences of choosing a particular API style, and reflect these findings in the pros and cons of the popular methods.
