Understanding APIs and RESTful APIs Crash Course
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
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 ;)
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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.
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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
Instructor
He is a professional web developer who's been developing websites and working with startups since 1999. He also has a broad set of skills in software, web development, and information technology.
Teaching over 450,000 students on Udemy alone, he's helped hundreds of thousands of people learn web development. From zero to hero and novice to ninja, he's considered a top teacher by thousands. With so much experience, why not give his experience and knowledge to others so they can fulfill their dreams?
The passion to learn and to share his knowledge by teaching and helping others is something that drives him. It's a passion he's had since he was born. Kalob's ability to turn complex programming concepts into easy-to-understands bits of knowledge has been called his "superpower".
Throughout the years, Kalob has built hundreds, if not thousands, of websites, and has created multiple companies from his ideas and software. He also provides one-on-one coaching and startup consulting to new organizations.
Teaching isn't an option in Kalob's life, but a moral obligation to pass on knowledge to others.