APIs with Rails
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Review the purposes of APIs and why we call them on a server
Use httparty to interact with an API
Use foreman to load API keys from a .env file
API stands for Application Programming Interface, and they provide a set of tools and methods for interacting with software. When we use an API, we generally interact with software by sending inputs. Once inputs are received, they're processed by the software, and we get output, or a response, from the software.
We used public APIs during the JavaScript unit. Public APIs can be accessed openly without any authentication.
Most robust APIs aren't completely open, in order to protect against abuse and/or malicious requests. Generally, an API will require keys to idenitfy who is connecting to the service. Google, Flickr, and Yelp are some companies that provide open APIs using keys.
When we use Flickr, we'll be given an API key and a secret key. Why two keys? Because math! Science! Security purposes! Here's some interesting explanations on why and how these keys are encrypted/decrypted:
Many web APIs work similarly to a Rails app. They support CRUD actions via a RESTful interface. Meaning, requests can be made over HTTP to get, post, update, and/or delete data.
great for simple requests
great for sending multiple requests in parallel
Objective: Display results from iTunes given a query.
create a new rails project
setup database
create a new controller with index and show methods
setup routes
add the 'httparty' gem.
on index, create a form for submitting a query
on show, make a request to the API and show results
Of course, test along the way. Otherwise, you're living in the...
Example call:
See
