Which feature is a characteristic of the REST API?

The REST API in Salesforce is designed to provide a lightweight and efficient way to interact with Salesforce data and services. A key characteristic of the REST API is that it allows applications to perform Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations directly on Salesforce objects. This means developers can easily manipulate data in Salesforce using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, making the integration process straightforward and flexible.

The ability to perform these operations enhances the API's usability in a variety of applications, allowing for efficient data management and interactions with Salesforce data structures. This is particularly beneficial for web and mobile applications that require seamless integration and real-time updates with Salesforce environments.

The other options do not align with the nature of the REST API. For instance, the REST API supports both JSON and XML formats, contrary to the assertion that it is based solely on XML. It is stateless, which means it does not require session management for maintaining state between requests. Additionally, the REST API works with both standard and custom objects within Salesforce, offering broad flexibility in data manipulation.