FUNDAMENTALS
A Beginner’s Guide
API A software intermediary that allows two
applications to talk to each other. APIs are
Application Programming an accessible way to extract and share data
Interface within and across organizations.
API is a collection of communication protocols and
subroutines used by various programs to
communicate between them.
API acts as an
interface between
different applications.
REST API REST is an architectural style for
networked applications that uses HTTP
Representational State requests to access and manipulate data.
Transfer
It’s an architectural style to
develop web applications
It uses Hyper Text
Trasnsfer Protocol as
communication interface
It transfers data through
HTTP methods
Diagram GET / POST /
PUT / DELETE
REST API Example
JSON / XML
Client REST API DB
Request Anatomy
REST API Request
URL It is the address to
Uniform Resource identify a resource and
Locator
specify how to access it
In an API, the URL can be named as
Base URL, which means that is the
base address used in every request
Example: http://sefism.vercel.app
Request Anatomy Every URL is a URI, but not
every URI is also a URL
REST API Request
URI It is used in URL to specify
Uniform Resource
whichce and sp the client would
Identifier
like to access in a request
Example: http://sefism.vercel.app/emails?
community=slack
URI highlighted
in white
Here, the client actually
communicates to the server that
the request is to retrieve emails
with community equals to slack
Body Params Only used in requests that must
send information such as create
or delete
Request Body Params
Body of the request which contains all the
data that the server needs to successfully
process the request
Request Example
{
“email”:”support@sefism.org
”
“community”:”sefism”
“isJoined”:”true”
}
Parameters There are two types of
parameters, Query & Path.
Request Parameters
Information that can be sent in a request by
the client in order to get the response from
the server
Example: http://sefism.vercel.app/emails?community=slack
Example: http://sefism.vercel.app/helpful-resources/beginner/interviewtips
Query Parameters community=slack is a query
paramter (variable) which retrieves
emails for slack community
Request Parameters
Type
A variable in URI path that helps in
querying / filtering through a list of
resources.
Example: http://sefism.vercel.app/emails?community=slack
Path Parameters beginner is the path parameter
(variable) which points to
interviewtips of beginner levels
Request Parameters
Type
A variable in URI path that helps in
pointing towards specific resource.
Example: http://sefism.vercel.app/helpful-resources/beginner/interviewtips
Headers Used to send extra data, specifying
proper format and data to retrieve
Request Headers
Body of the request which contains all the
data that the server needs to successfully
process the request
Request Header
Authorization: Bearer token
Accept: Application/json
REST Methods Others REST API Methods are
HEAD, TRACE, CONNECT and
REST API Methods OPTIONS
GET
POST
Retrieve information
about an API resource. Create an API resource.
PUT
PATCH Update an API resource.
Modifies an API resource.
DELETE
Deletes an API resource.
HTTP Status Codes With every request made to
the server, we get http status
Response/Status Codes / response codes in return
1XX : Information
2XX : Success
3XX : Redirection
4XX : Client Error
5XX : Server Error
Why REST APIs
Advantages of RESTful
APIs
Simplicity and
Clarity
RESTful APIs follow a straightforward architectural style based
on familiar web concepts like HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT,
DELETE) and resource representations (JSON, XML). This makes
them intuitive to learn and use for developers of all skill levels.
Why REST APIs
Advantages of RESTful
APIs
Flexibility and
Scalability
RESTful APIs can be adapted to a wide range of applications, from
simple web services to complex enterprise systems. They can also
be easily scaled to handle increasing traffic and data volumes as
your needs grow.
Why REST APIs
Advantages of RESTful
APIs
Interoperability and
Openness
RESTful APIs are based on open standards and widely used
protocols, making them compatible with diverse software and
hardware platforms. This fosters collaboration and simplifies
integration with existing systems.
Why REST APIs
Advantages of RESTful
APIs
Maintainability and
Reliability
The clear separation of concerns in RESTful APIs (client, server,
resources) promotes modularity and code reusability. This leads to
improved maintainability and reduced development costs in the
long run.
REST API Usage
Things to consider before
RESTful APIs Real-time communication: Not ideal for
applications requiring continuous data updates like
chat or streaming, consider WebSockets or event-
driven messaging.
Complex workflows: Intricate operations requiring
Simple data access: Need to expose simple data multiple chained requests might be less efficient
for use by other applications, especially web and than custom protocols.
mobile clients.
Highly secure environments: If security is
Integration with existing systems: Easy to paramount, custom protocols with stronger
integrate with existing platforms due to familiar authentication and authorization might be
HTTP and JSON/XML format. preferred.
Scalability and flexibility: Can handle various Resource-intensive tasks: Transferring large files or
applications and scale with increasing traffic and data streams may be more efficient with
data volumes. specialized protocols like FTP or WebDAV.
Open standards and interoperability: Promotes
collaboration and simplifies integration with
diverse software and hardware.
API Architectures
Other available API Declarative data fetching with
GraphQL precise control, ideal for
Architectural Styles complex data structures
High-performance remote
procedure calls optimized for gRPC
microservices communication.
Loosely coupled, real-time data
Event-Driven exchange through event streams
and messaging.
Mature, XML-based protocol
emphasizing security and Soap
interoperability.
Continuous bi-directional
Web Sockets communication between client
and server.
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