REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style that is widely used for designing networked applications. It leverages standard HTTP methods, such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, to facilitate communication between clients and servers. RESTful services are stateless and typically return data in formats like JSON or XML, making them highly interoperable and scalable.
REST is a crucial pattern in the methods-and-patterns quadrant due to its simplicity and effectiveness in building web APIs. It enables developers to create efficient, reliable, and easy-to-use interfaces that are integral to modern web services. Its adoption is widespread, thanks to its clear conventions and the ease with which it integrates into existing web technologies, making it a cornerstone of contemporary web architecture.