Since XML-RPC came along, other web services standards have arisen to fulfill needs that XML-RPC does not address. Some, like SOAP and its derivatives, are designed to give more power and flexibility to the developer. Others, like RSS, are used for a specific niche. This is not unlike other evolutionary trends in technology where standards start off simple, and for better or for worse, become more complex. Very recently, though, a new web service standard has become popular that bucks this trend. REST, an acronym for Representational State Transfer, is not a formalized standard but instead an architectural style.
In theory, REST is rich and modern. Its application is not limited to the World Wide Web. However, web browsers and web servers fit nicely in REST theory. Described by Roy Fielding for a doctoral dissertation, in 2000, REST attempts to describe network-based software architectures.
In practice, REST is simple and flexible. Like XML-RPC, a client makes a request to the server...