Part 1. Getting started

Do you want to blend your web services, websites, and web clients into unified web applications, exposing and consuming RESTful web APIs? The three chapters in part 1 show how this is possible using the open source Restlet Framework and its unique Java API available in six consistent editions for Java SE, Java EE, OSGi, GAE, Android, and GWT!

The Restlet Framework supports the web in all its forms, in a simple and unified way. You can use it to both expose and consume web APIs, including web pages and web services. One benefit is that it supports all core HTTP features, making a radical difference when you stop adapting your applications to the web and instead naturally use its full power.

Chapter 1 gets you started immediately with the Restlet Framework. You’ll develop your first Restlet “Hello World” program right away and then find out about the main features and benefits of this framework.

In chapter 2 we show you how to create fully featured Restlet applications, implementing an example mail system that you’ll develop throughout the book. You’ll learn how to put together major Restlet building blocks such as client-side and server-side resources, filters, and routers.

Because one of the strengths of the Restlet Framework is its ability to work in various technical environments, chapter 3 covers how to deploy Restlet applications on your own computers, using a simple Java SE virtual machine or a full-blown Java EE server—or even a dynamic OSGi container. You’ll also see how to declaratively configure Restlet applications using XML and the Spring Framework.

That’s a lot of exciting content, so let’s get started!