REST APIs encode data either in XML format or JSON format.

REST APIs encode data either in XML format or JSON format.

• A. REST APIs encode data exclusively in XML format
• B. REST APIs encode data either in XML format or JSON format
• C. REST APIs encode data exclusively in JSON format
• D. REST APIs are typically used to communicate with an SDN data plane

Answer: (B)

REST APIs deliver data as representations over HTTP, and those representations are usually serialized into a format the client can parse. The two most common serialization formats you’ll see are JSON and XML. Saying data can be encoded in either XML or JSON reflects the typical practice and doesn’t imply exclusivity—many REST services use JSON today, while XML is still used in some ecosystems, and other formats can be used as well. The important idea is that REST is flexible about how data is represented, not tied to a single format. The statement about SDN data planes is unrelated to the general use of REST for web services.

REST APIs deliver data as representations over HTTP, and those representations are usually serialized into a format the client can parse. The two most common serialization formats you’ll see are JSON and XML. Saying data can be encoded in either XML or JSON reflects the typical practice and doesn’t imply exclusivity—many REST services use JSON today, while XML is still used in some ecosystems, and other formats can be used as well. The important idea is that REST is flexible about how data is represented, not tied to a single format. The statement about SDN data planes is unrelated to the general use of REST for web services.