Understanding APIs and RESTful APIs Crash Course

Name: Understanding APIs and RESTful APIs Crash Course
Rating: 4.5 (23046 reviews)

An introduction to how APIs and RESTful APIs work. No coding in this course, it's all conceptual.

Created byKalob Taulien

Last updated 2/2024

English

What you'll learn

What APIs are
How APIs work
What a RESTful API is
What JSON is
How computers talk to each other
CRUD Operations
The 5 main request methods (GET, POST, PUT/PATCH, DELETE)
HTTP status codes
How to understand APIs as if they were real people
HTTP Requests and Responses

Course content

3 sections • 22 lectures • 42m total length

Introduction0:38
Welcome to Understanding APIs and RESTful APIs. This course is NOT about coding, so if you're trying to implement an API on your website, this course is not for you.
This course is for you if you are trying to understand how APIs and RESTful APIs work.
What is an API?1:00
API = Application Programming Interface. It's not visual though, so it's kind of a misleading name. Let's learn more about this.
Google Slides0:04
The slides that are referenced in this course can be found here (its a free Google Slide)

The simplest way to think about an API (the metaphor)2:51
Technology comes with a lot of crazy terminology. Honestly, use computer geeks use big words to make ourselves feel smarter — but underneath all the crazy buzzwords is a very simple analogy that you can relate to as a human. You don't need to be a coder to get this one, I promise :)
A real life use case2:39
Let's take a look at a real life example of a service that uses LOTS of APIs to make their website run.
What programming languages can we use?1:16
Are APIs restricted by programming language? Watch to find out!
Introduction to RESTful APIs0:57
RESTful APIs are a form of API. It's a way of sending two commands at once to a server. Are we DELETING a user? And if so, which user?
Introduction to JSON2:08
JSON = JavaScript Object Notation. Again, a fancy acronym for "a fairly common and easy-to-read way to talk to other computers".
Using SWAPI Notes0:07
A real JavaScript API example4:10
I'll show you how to make a simple GET request to a JSON-based RESTful API. You don't need to know JavaScript, though. This can be done in ANY language.
GET requests3:25
GET requests = you are GETting data from a server. No create, update, or delete operations. You simply want to see the data.
POST requests2:48
POST requests = you are CREATING data on a server. Ask the server to make a new resource, and it will.
DELETE requests2:19
DELETE requests = you are DELETING data from a server. Ask the server to delete a new resource, and it will.
PUT/PATCH requests4:10
PUT/PATCH requests = you are UPDATING data from a server. Ask the server to update a resource, or a piece of a resource, and it will.
Consuming APIs (how to use them)2:22
How can you use an API? You need to "consume" it — a.k.a. you need to be able to reason JSON.
Requests and responses1:34
Requests and responses are how we ask for something, and receive something in return.
Common status codes5:35
Status codes are numbers that tell you what went wrong, or what when right when asking the server for data.
API security0:53
APIs keys are your authentication credentials. It's like logging into a website, but with a randomly generated username and password.

Requirements

You should probably be an intermediate developer by now OR be a junior developer who's trying to level up their skills
OR You should be interested in learning more about communication between computers (you don't need to be a coder if you fit into this category)

Description

In this course you will learn about APIs and RESTful APIs, and how they work. There is no coding in this course.

By the end of this course you will completely understand how APIs work, and how computers talk to each other. You'll also be familiar with RESTful APIs which make use of the HTTP protocol. If that sounded confusing, scary, or overly technical — it's not — it's just a fancy way of saying "it uses the internet".

The goal of this course is to help you understand APIs and RESTful APIs without needing to write any code. So next time someone says "API" you will know exactly what they are talking about (and you'll also know it's not really that technical or fancy, but that'll be our secret ;)

———

This course is designed to remove the sense of overwhelm and "scariness" when we start to talk about APIs. APIs and RESTful APIs come across as difficult or advanced subjects, but really it's just two computers talking to each other and exchanging commands and data. No different than when your friend sends you a text message, and you text back.

I'll give you several easy to remember metaphors so APIs don't feel scary or overwhelming, too.

APIs can be written and used by most programming languages, so we're not writing any code, although I do provide a live JavaScript demo.

All the slides will be provided for you, as well as reference material for when you've graduated this course and you're ready to take on the world of APIs.

———

This course is only 45 minutes, but I promise you that's all the time you'll need — not because I'm a good teacher, but because APIs are seriously that simple once someone takes the time to explain them.

Who this course is for:

Intermediate Web Developers OR Eager Junior Web Developers
Non-coders who want to learn about inter-computer communications
This course is NOT for junior developers who are brand new to coding (not yet, anyway!)
This course is NOT for senior developers who already have knowledge about APIs and how they work

Understanding APIs and RESTful APIs Crash Course

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction3 lectures • 2min

Understanding APIs and RESTful APIs15 lectures • 37min

Summary4 lectures • 4min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: