In REST, how is a resource defined?

In REST, how is a resource defined?

• A. A resource is limited to URLs only.
• B. A resource is any information or concept that can be named.
• C. A resource is a database row identified by a primary key.
• D. A resource is always a file on the server.

Answer: (B)

In REST, a resource is any information or concept that can be named and identified by a URI. It’s the abstract thing the client is addressing, not a specific file or database row itself. A resource can have multiple representations (such as JSON, XML, or HTML) that are transferred over HTTP, but the resource remains the same concept regardless of how it’s represented. This broad view explains why the correct choice describes a resource as any information or concept that can be named: it captures that resources are not limited to URLs, database rows, or files, but are the identifiable information or ideas that a client can interact with via HTTP.

In REST, a resource is any information or concept that can be named and identified by a URI. It’s the abstract thing the client is addressing, not a specific file or database row itself. A resource can have multiple representations (such as JSON, XML, or HTML) that are transferred over HTTP, but the resource remains the same concept regardless of how it’s represented. This broad view explains why the correct choice describes a resource as any information or concept that can be named: it captures that resources are not limited to URLs, database rows, or files, but are the identifiable information or ideas that a client can interact with via HTTP.