DTO
DTO (Data Transfer Object) is a design pattern used in software development to transfer data between software application subsystems, such as between a client and server or between layers in an application. It encapsulates data into a simple object without any business logic, typically containing only fields, getters, and setters, to reduce the number of method calls and improve performance in distributed systems.
Developers should use DTOs when building applications with layered architectures, such as in microservices, REST APIs, or MVC frameworks, to decouple the internal domain model from the external interface and optimize data transfer over networks. They are particularly useful for reducing overhead in remote calls, preventing over-fetching or under-fetching of data, and enhancing security by exposing only necessary data to clients.