API workshop

Why & when APIs?

• dataportal.se
  
• Trafiklab
  
• 20 APIs in 20 minutes

URL

The address. You have a home address. The API has its home address on the internet.
Just like websites. Example: https://api.46elks.com/a1/SMS

Request

• GET Ask for data.
• POST Send in data. Trigger an event.

help!?

• Contact those providing the API!
  
• Stackoverflow to the rescue!
  
• People! Go to meetups, hackathons, explore forums... when you have friends you can help them out, and they can help you out!
• You can also search for API reference manual, API documentation, API docs or API manual to find more information as well.

Status codes

• 200 All is well.
• 404 Can't find what you're looking for!
• 20x OK!
• 30x Somewhere else!
• 40x You're not doing it right.
  Check the documentation/manual/instruction. Ask for help!
  Example: https://46elks.com/thispagedoesnotexist - 404.
• 50x We made a mistake! Perhaps you might want to let us know! Or try again later!
• http cat is a good place to find your current status code

Authentication

• Credentials
• API key
• Basic auth

Format

json

XML

Want to try more languages?

You can find more examples in many different programming languages available on GitHub or our tutorials here