Introduction

This repository contains a scientific paper that I wrote in German during my Master's programme at Hof University of Applied Sciences in the lecture "New Technologies in Computer Science". The paper examines two widely used technologies for API implementation: REST and GraphQL. At the beginning both technologies are introduced separately, exploring their history as well as their main characteristics and concepts. In a subsequent comparison of REST and GraphQL, various key criteria are discussed that play a role in the implementation of APIs, including interface definition, client-server communication, query and response capabilities, scalability, versioning, performance, caching, development effort and ecosystem. The conclusion highlights that both technologies have strengths that make them well-suited for some use cases, but also weaknesses that may limit their applicability in other scenarios. GraphQL is therefore indeed a promising alternative to REST and both technologies have their rightful place.