A RESTful web service offers better performance due to its lightweight architecture. It allows different messaging formats such as JSON, plaintext, HTML, and XML, compared to SOAP, which only allows XML. REST is an architecture style that defines the standard for loosely coupled application design using the HTTP protocol for data transmission.

JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a more accessible format for data exchange in REST architecture. JSON is lightweight and language independent. JSON contains a simple key-value pair that makes it compatible with data structures defined in most programming languages.

REST focuses on the design principle for creating a stateless service. The web service client doesn't need to generate a complex client skeleton, but it can access the web server resources using the unique Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). The client can access RESTful resources with the HTTP protocol and perform standard operations such as GET, PUT, DELETE, and POST on the resources.

Your choice of architecture design between REST and SOAP depends upon your organization's needs. The REST service offers an effective way to integrate with lightweight clients such as smartphones, while SOAP provides high security and is suitable for complex transactions. Let's take a look at the differences between REST and SOAP:

Now, let's learn about a reference architecture based on service-oriented design.