HTTP and RPC interfaces are two common interface communication protocols. This article will introduce their definitions, differences and similarities, application scenarios and current technology development trends, and give interface code examples and common tools for development.
HTTP interface
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is an application layer protocol, which is mainly used to transfer data between web browsers and servers. The core of HTTP is that the client initiates a request to the server and waits for the server to respond. In web applications, HTTP is primarily used to transfer HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web resources.
In interface design, HTTP interfaces usually use RESTful architecture. RESTful architecture is a design style that uses HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) and URIs (Uniform Resource Identifier) to define resources and operations. By using the RESTful architecture, the HTTP interface can have good readability, maintainability and scalability.
The following is a sample code for an HTTP interface implemented using Python's Flask framework:
In this example, an HTTP interface is defined /hello, parameters are passed through the GET method name, and a message in JSON format is returned.
RPC interface
RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is a remote procedure call protocol that allows client applications to call procedures or functions on remote servers over the network. RPC interfaces usually use binary protocols for communication, such as Protocol Buffers, Thrift, Msgpack, etc.
In interface design, RPC interfaces usually use Interface Definition Language (IDL) to describe the interface. IDL is a language used to describe interfaces and data structures. It can convert interface and data structure definitions into multiple programming languages, making interface communication between different programming languages more convenient.
The following is a sample code of an RPC interface implemented using Protocol Buffers and the gRPC framework:
In this example, an RPC interface is defined Greeter, which contains a method SayHellowith an input parameter of HelloRequestand an output parameter of HelloReply.
Learn more : RPC protocol: an easy-to-understand interface introduction
Differences and similarities between HTTP interface and RPC interface
- The communication protocols are different: HTTP uses a text protocol, and RPC uses a binary protocol.
- The calling methods are different: the HTTP interface is called through the URL, and the RPC interface is called through the function call.
- Parameter passing methods are different: the HTTP interface uses URL parameters or request body for parameter passing, and the RPC interface uses function parameters for passing.
- The interface description methods are different: the HTTP interface uses the RESTful architecture to describe the interface, and the RPC interface uses the Interface Definition Language (IDL) to describe the interface.
- Different performance: The RPC interface is usually faster than the HTTP interface because it uses a binary protocol for communication and uses some performance optimization techniques such as connection pooling, batch processing, etc. In addition, RPC interfaces usually support asynchronous calls, which can better handle high-concurrency scenarios.
The HTTP interface and the RPC interface are similar in that they are both protocols used for interface communication. They all need to define information such as interfaces, parameters, and return values, and communicate through the network. In addition, they all support encoding and decoding of multiple data formats, which can be flexibly selected according to requirements.
Application scenarios of HTTP interface and RPC interface
The HTTP interface is suitable for communication between web applications and browsers. It is commonly used to transfer HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web resources, as well as RESTful API services.
The RPC interface is suitable for communication between distributed systems. It can communicate between multiple programming languages, supporting multiple protocols and data formats. RPC interfaces are usually used to handle high-concurrency and high-throughput scenarios, such as large-scale distributed computing and big data processing.
The technical development trend of HTTP interface and RPC interface
With the continuous development of Internet technology, both the HTTP interface and the RPC interface are constantly developing and evolving.
In terms of HTTP interface, GraphQL is a new query language that allows clients to define the required data format and structure, thereby reducing the amount of data transmitted over the network. GraphQL is gradually becoming a more flexible and efficient way to design APIs than RESTful.
In terms of RPC interface, gRPC is a new high-performance remote procedure call framework, which uses Protocol Buffers as the default serialization protocol and supports multiple programming languages and platforms. gRPC provides efficient serialization and transmission protocols, as well as functions such as code generation and service discovery, which can greatly improve the development efficiency and performance of RPC interfaces.
Commonly used tools for developing HTTP interfaces and RPC interfaces
Commonly used tools for developing HTTP interfaces include web frameworks such as Flask, Express, and Django, and API tools such as Apifox and Postman.
Commonly used tools for developing RPC interfaces include serialization protocols such as Protocol Buffers, Thrift, and Msgpack, and RPC frameworks such as gRPC, Apache Dubbo, and Tars.
Protocol Buffers is a serialization protocol developed by Google, which can serialize structured data into binary format and transmit it over the network. Protocol Buffers can define multiple data types and data structures, and support multiple programming languages. In addition to being a serialization protocol, Protocol Buffers can also be used as the basis for RPC frameworks, such as gRPC.
gRPC is a high-performance remote procedure call framework that uses Protocol Buffers as the default serialization protocol and supports multiple programming languages and platforms. gRPC provides efficient serialization and transmission protocols, as well as functions such as code generation and service discovery, which can greatly improve the development efficiency and performance of RPC interfaces.
Deep dive: what is gRPC and how it works
Apache Dubbo is a Java-based high-performance RPC framework that supports multiple serialization protocols and load balancing algorithms. Dubbo provides a complete service governance solution, including service registration, service discovery, load balancing, fault tolerance, etc.
Tars is a high-performance C++-based RPC framework that supports multiple serialization protocols and load balancing algorithms. Tars provides a complete service governance solution, including service registration, service discovery, load balancing, fault-tolerant processing, etc., and also provides a visual management interface to facilitate operation and maintenance personnel to manage and monitor.
To sum up, HTTP interface and RPC interface are two common interface communication protocols. They have some differences and similarities in communication protocol, calling method, parameter passing method, interface description method and performance. They are applicable to different application scenarios, and are constantly developing and evolving to adapt to new technologies and requirements. Developers can choose appropriate protocols and tools for development according to specific application scenarios and requirements.
Knowledge expansion:
In addition to the HTTP and RPC protocols, there are many other commonly used protocols, which can be learned by clicking the links below.