REST是一种用于分布式软件的软件体系结构

遵循REST约束被称为“RESTful”。

如今，它被广泛用于构建web服务，作为SOAP的替代方案。

这里有一些链接需要检查

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representational_State_Transfer http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/297424/Representational_State_Transfer_REST_ http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-restful/

具象状态传输(REST)是软件体系结构的一种风格。正如Roy Fielding在一篇论文中描述的那样，REST是一种“架构风格”，基本上利用了现有的Web技术和协议。

RESTful通常用于指实现这种体系结构的web服务。

把REST看作一个体系结构“类”，而RESTful是该类的众所周知的“实例”。

请注意“”;这里我们不是在处理“真正的”编程对象。

REST stands for representational state transfer. That means that state itself is not transferred but a mere representation of it is. The most common example is a pure HTML server based app (no javascript). The browser knows nothing about the application itself but through links and resources, the server is able transfer the state of the application to the browser. Where a button would normally change a state variable (e.g. page open) in a regular windows application, in the browser you have a link that represents such a state change.

这个想法就是使用超媒体。也许还能创造出新的超媒体类型。我们可以用javascript/AJAX扩展浏览器，并创建新的自定义超媒体类型。这样我们就有了一个真正的REST应用程序。

This is my short version of what REST stands for, the problem is that it is hard to implement. I personally say RESTful, when I want to make reference to the REST principles but I know I am not really implementing the whole concept of REST. We don't really say SOAPful, because you either use SOAP or not. I think most people don't do REST the way it was envisioned by it's creator Roy Fielding, we actually implement RESTful or RESTlike architectures. You can see his dissertation, and you will find the REST acronym but not the word RESTful.

基于REST的服务称为“REST式服务”。

来源:多布斯博士档案

Web服务本质上是网站，其内容是由计算机程序而不是人消费的。REST是一套体系结构原则，它规定web服务应该最大限度地利用HTTP和其他web标准，以便程序获得人们已经可以从web中获得的所有好东西。REST经常与SOAP web服务和其他面向“远程过程调用”的web服务进行对比。

Stefan Tilkov在Parleys.com上关于REST的演讲非常棒，尤其是这个。

理查德森和Ruby的《Restful Web Services》是最好的一本书。