Introduction to Routing

What is Routing?

Routing in a website refers to the process of determining how an application responds to a client request to a particular URL. It involves mapping URLs to the corresponding content or functionality within the web application. In simpler terms, routing determines what happens when a user visits different URLs within a website.

How is Routing Used in Websites?

In web development, routing is typically handled by a router, which is a component responsible for interpreting the URL and directing the request to the appropriate handler or controller. The handler then processes the request and generates the appropriate response, which may include rendering a web page, fetching data from a database, or executing some other action.

Routing enables developers to create dynamic and interactive web applications where different URLs can lead to different content or actions. This is essential for organizing the structure of a website and providing a smooth navigation experience for users.

Routing as Endpoints in APIs

In the context of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), routing serves a similar purpose but with a different focus. Instead of mapping URLs to web pages, APIs map URLs to specific functions or resources that are exposed by the API. These URLs are commonly referred to as endpoints.

Endpoints in APIs define the entry points for interacting with the API. Each endpoint typically corresponds to a specific operation or resource, such as retrieving data, updating a record, or executing a particular action.

When a client application sends a request to a specific API endpoint, the API server routes the request to the corresponding handler or controller, which then processes the request and returns the appropriate response. This allows client applications to interact with the API and perform various tasks programmatically.