WTF Are APIs?!

Do people keep talking to you about APIs? Are these people starting to drive you crazy? Are you frustrated at night when you go to bed because you don’t really understand just what the f**k APIs actually are? If this describes you then you won’t want to miss this talk!

In this talk, Randall Degges, Developer Evangelist at Stormpath, will teach you what APIs are, how they work, and how to use them. You’ll also take a look at several free and popular API services, and learn how to make use of them.

Transcript

1. WTF Are APIs?!
   Seriously, wtf are they?
   @rdegges @gostormpath
   

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2. Hey, I’m Randall
   Developer Evangelist,
   Stormpath
   Open Source Dude
   <333 t3h c0d3z
   

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3. Wanna talk
   about APIs?
   APIs are
   the best!
   I want
   an API!
   

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4. What the
   hell are
   they?!
   

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5. APIs are
   websites made
   for computers
   

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6. Websites for humans
   are horrible.
   

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9. 
   
   
   Hi!
   
   
   Hello, world!
   
   
   HTML!!!!
   

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10. body {
    padding: 2em;
    }
    h1 {
    font-size: 3em;
    color: #000;
    }
    CSS!!!!
    

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11. $(document).ready(function() {
    $("Hello, world!").insertAfter("h1");
    });
    Javascript :(
    

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12. JUST
    DATA
    

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13. $ curl https://api.ipify.org
    73.15.98.183
    $ curl http://swapi.co/api/people/1/
    

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14. {
    "username": "rdegges",
    "firstName": "Randall",
    "lastName": "Degges",
    "email": "randall@stormpath.com"
    }
    JSON
    

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15. 
    
    rdegges
    Randall
    Degges
    randall@stormpath.com
    
    XML
    

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16. How do
    computers talk
    to an API?
    

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17. HTTP Request
    Headers
    Body
    Metadata
    Data
    

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18. HTTP Response
    Headers
    Body
    They
    look the
    same!
    

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19. GET
    POST
    PUT
    PATCH
    DELETE
    

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20. GET https://api.mywebsite.com/messages
    {
    "messages": [
    {
    "id": 1,
    "text": "Hey Randall! Cool slide art!"
    },
    {
    "id": 2,
    "text": "Great talk, too!"
    }
    ]
    }
    

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21. POST https://api.mywebsite.com/messages
    {
    "text": "I’m storing a new message!"
    }
    {
    "id": 3,
    "text": "I’m storing a new message!"
    }
    

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22. PUT https://api.mywebsite.com/messages/1
    {
    "id": 1,
    "text": "Hey Randall! BAD slide art!"
    }
    {
    "id": 1,
    "text": "Hey Randall! BAD slide art!"
    }
    

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23. PATCH https://api.mywebsite.com/messages/1
    {
    "text": "Hey Randall! Booorrring."
    }
    {
    "id": 1,
    "text": "Hey Randall! Booorrring."
    }
    

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24. DELETE https://api.mywebsite.com/messages/1
    {
    "id": 1,
    "text": "Hey Randall! Booorrring."
    }
    

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25. APIs are pretty
    cool, after all!
    

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26. https://www.publicapis.com/
    

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28. POST https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts//Calls.json
    {
    "From": "+14158675309",
    "To": "+18182179229",
    "Url": "https://mywebsite.com/call.xml"
    }
    

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29. POST https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts//Messages.json
    {
    "From": "+14158675309",
    "To": "+18182179229",
    "Body": "Hey Randall!!"
    }
    

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30. You mean I can
    use an API to
    ship stuff?! Cool!
    

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32. My website is now
    very secure!
    Hahaha.
    

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34. APIs Are Magical!
    

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35. You’re
    awesome.
    @rdegges
    @gostormpath
    

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