What is the main purpose of REST architecture?

The primary purpose of REST architecture is to create scalable web services using standard protocols. REST, which stands for Representational State Transfer, is an architectural style that leverages the HTTP protocol for communication between clients and servers. This approach enables the development of services that can efficiently handle a large number of requests and can be easily scaled as the demand grows.

RESTful services are built around the concept of resources, which are identified by URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers). Through standard HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, clients can interact with these resources, making the system flexible and easy to use. The use of standard protocols also means that various clients (like web browsers, mobile apps, or IoT devices) can communicate with the RESTful service without needing specialized libraries or formats.

In contrast, while secure access controls and user authentication are important aspects of web services, they are not the main focus of REST architecture. Additionally, while building mobile applications can be facilitated by using RESTful services, it is not the specific purpose of REST. REST is more about the architectural approach to structuring web services that are scalable and leverage existing web standards.