Documentation

API documentation explains how to interact with an API. It provides information about the functionality that an API offers, including what data it can return and how to request it. API documentation typically includes information such as:

  • Endpoints: A list of all the available URLs that can be accessed through the API, along with a description of what they do.
  • HTTP methods: A description of the HTTP methods (such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) that the API supports and what each method does.
  • Request and response formats: Information about what kind of data can be sent to the API as part of a request and what kind of data the API will return in response. This can include information about the data format (e.g., JSON or XML), as well as details about the structure of the data.
  • Error handling: Information about how the API handles errors and what kind of error responses can be expected.
  • Authentication and authorization: Details about how to authenticate with the API and what level of access is required to access certain parts of the API.

API documentation is an important resource for developers who want to integrate their applications with an API. It helps them understand what the API can do, how to make requests to the API, and how to handle responses from the API.

Practice: Reading Documentation

It's easy to skim documentation. You really find out if you understand it when you actually try to use the API.

Pick one of the following APIs, then read the documentation and implement at least two actions using the API.

  • Giphy API: An API for searching for and retrieving animated GIFs. The API documentation includes information about endpoints, request and response formats, and examples of how to use the API.
  • News API: An API for retrieving news articles from around the world. The API documentation includes information about endpoints, request and response formats, and examples of how to use the API.
  • OpenWeatherMap: A weather API that provides weather data for cities around the world. The API documentation includes example requests and responses, as well as information about the data format and available endpoints.