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In the fast-paced world of technology, understanding APIs can feel like cracking a code. Mastering this pivotal concept can elevate your business strategies and productivity to new heights.
TOP 8 TYPES OF API:
- REST: Scalable communication via HTTP methods.
- MQTT: Lightweight messaging for resource-constrained devices.
- SOAP: XML-based protocol for reliable message exchange.
- WebSocket: Real-time, bidirectional communication.
- GraphQL: Clients request only the data they need.
- gRPC: High-performance framework using HTTP/2.
- AMQP: Asynchronous message delivery for distributed systems.
- Webhook: Automated server-side HTTP callbacks.
TOP 9 API METHODS:
- GET: Retrieve data from a resource.
- POST: Submit data for processing.
- PUT: Replace an entire resource.
- DELETE: Remove a resource.
- PATCH: Apply partial updates.
- HEAD: Fetch headers only.
- OPTIONS: List available methods.
- CONNECT: Establish a secure tunnel.
- TRACE: Echoes the request for debugging.
Important API Status Codes:
- 200 OK: Success.
- 404 Not Found: Resource missing.
- 500 Internal Server Error: Server failure.
You Should Know:
Testing APIs with cURL (Linux/Windows)
curl -X GET https://api.example.com/data
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"key":"value"}' https://api.example.com/create
Automating API Requests with Python
import requests
response = requests.get("https://api.example.com/users")
print(response.json())
Monitoring API Performance
Check HTTP latency
curl -o /dev/null -s -w "%{time_total}s\n" https://api.example.com
Securing APIs with JWT (Linux)
Generate a JWT token openssl genrsa -out private.pem 2048 openssl rsa -in private.pem -pubout -out public.pem
Debugging APIs with Postman
- Use Postman’s Collection Runner for automated testing.
- Enable Postman Console (
View > Show Postman Console) for logs.
Rate Limiting in Nginx
limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=api_limit:10m rate=10r/s;
location /api/ {
limit_req zone=api_limit burst=20;
}
API Logging with Elasticsearch & Kibana
Send logs to Elasticsearch
curl -X POST "http://localhost:9200/api_logs/_doc" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"status":200, "endpoint":"/users"}'
What Undercode Say:
APIs are the backbone of modern software. Mastering REST, GraphQL, and gRPC enhances efficiency. Use cURL for quick tests, Postman for debugging, and Nginx for security. Always monitor performance with logging tools like Elasticsearch.
Expected Output:
A structured API response in JSON:
{
"status": 200,
"data": {
"id": 1,
"name": "API Mastery"
}
}
References:
Reported By: Alexrweyemamu %F0%9D%91%BB%F0%9D%92%89%F0%9D%92%86 – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
