Let's Talk APIs

Well...RESTful ones anyway

Andrew Tomaka

What is an API?

• Application
• Programming
• Interface

Let other people use your stuff!

API Documentation

What is RESTful?

• REpresentational
• State
• Transfer

Constraints to create consistent APIs

REST COnstraints

• Client-server
• Stateless
• Cacheable
• Layered System
• Code on demand
• Uniform interface

REST on the Web

• Take a base URI
• Pick a data type (JSON, XML, Atom, etc)
• Use standard HTTP methods
  • GET, PUT, POST, DELETE, (and PATCH)
• Use standard HTTP response codes
  • 200 OK, 204 No Content, 404 Not Found

A RESTful Example

• List: GET /jokes
• Create: POST /jokes
• Show: GET /jokes/1
• Update: PUT /jokes/1
• Delete: DELETE /jokes/1

A Simple Example

Sample Code

Resources

• This presentation
  • Slides
  • Code
• api.lansing.codes
• Grape Project
• ActiveModel::Serializer Project

Other Talks

• Intro to REST
  
  • Todd Fredrich
    
• The Grapes of Rapid
  
  • Michael Bleigh
    
• Build The API First
  
  • Rosie Hoyem and Sonja Hall