API Basics

What is REST APIs?

A structured way for clients to interact with the system. Defines a set of endpoints that map to specific actions, using standard HTTP methods

API methods

• GET (“get the goods” → retrieve data)

• POST (“powerful payloads!” create data; When you want to send data to the server and create something new, use the POST method.)

• PUT (“Update with Authority!” update data; Update existing data with the PUT method.)

• DELETE (remove data)

• PATCH (“Fine-Tuning at Your Fingertips!” Use the PATCH method to make partial updates to existing resources)

The backend service could expose _____

endpoints

Query parameters

Query parameters provide a flexible way to customize API requests and retrieve specific data based on filtering, sorting, pagination, or other criteria.

Use this with the API to specify criteria to retrieve relevant results

Filtering

Do this with the API to divide large datasets into pages for managable chunk retrieval

Pagination

Give an example endpoint and parameters for a “create short URL API”

Endpoint: POST /shorten

Parameters:

• original_url (string, required)

• custom_alias (string, optional)

• expiration_date (timestamp, optional)

• user_id (string, optional)