Know more about Representational state transfer (REST)

i am sure these you hear about REST, so want to know what rest is? then have a look at the following definition

Representational state transfer (REST) is a style of software architecture for distributed hypermedia systems such as the World Wide Web. As such, it is not strictly a method for building "web services." The terms “representational state transfer” and “REST” were introduced in 2000 in the doctoral dissertation of Roy Fielding, one of the principal authors of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) specification.

REST strictly refers to a collection of network architecture principles which outline how resources are defined and addressed. The term is often used in a looser sense to describe any simple interface which transmits domain-specific data over HTTP without an additional messaging layer such as SOAP or session tracking via HTTP cookies. These two meanings can conflict as well as overlap. It is possible to design a software system in accordance with Fielding’s REST architectural style without using HTTP and without interacting with the World Wide Web.It is also possible to design simple XML+HTTP interfaces which do not conform to REST principles, and instead follow a model of remote procedure call. The difference between the uses of the term “REST” therefore causes some confusion in technical discussions.

here are some good links to know REST better

• A Brief Introduction to REST
• REST in Plain English
• RESTful .NET Fundamentals (training)
• RESTful Web Services (book)
• RESTful .NET (book)
• RESTify DayTrader