Chapter 1.  Getting Started with REST API

Ever since the middle of 2015, the WordPress community has been busy talking about the advent of REST API to the WordPress core. This is definitely a groundbreaking development and will eventually lead to bigger and better things that we as developers can accomplish using WordPress.

The WordPress REST API has been included in WordPress in a two-phase cycle, split across two versions: WordPress 4.4 and WordPress 4.5; it is not completely there in the WordPress core, but it is being added partially in a phase-wise manner.

Quite obviously, WordPress REST API (also called JSON REST API by some users) will play a crucial role toward the future of WordPress development, and since WordPress is the world's most popular content management system (CMS), it will contribute toward the growth of web development in general.

That said, what is all the fuss about REST API? In fact, what is REST API and why should you, as a developer, be concerned about it? Before we actually get started with coding and development, in this chapter I will introduce you to REST API, its powers, and features and what it can do for WordPress development.