Rest APIs using Python

Understanding REST APIs

A REST API is like having a conversation with a web server using the HTTP protocol. You send an HTTP request, and the server replies with an HTTP response.

 

KEY COMPONENTS IN A REST API INTERACTION ARE

A. HTTP Request: In simple words it means: You Ask for Something

Every request includes:

• Method: What you want to do (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
• URL: The address of the resource (/users, /posts/1)
• Headers: Extra info like content type (application/json)
• Body: Data sent (for POST, PUT, etc.)

Example:

B. HTTP Response: Server Replies

A response includes:

• Status Code: Was it successful? (200 OK, 404 Not Found, 201 Created)
• Headers: Info about the response
• Body: The actual data (often JSON)

Key methods used in HTTP Operations

WORKING WITH REST APIs IN PYTHON

What Is urllib?

urllib is part of Python’s standard library and includes submodules like:

• urllib.request: for opening and reading URLs
• urllib.parse: for encoding query parameters
• urllib.error: for handling exceptions

No installation needed — it’s ready to go out of the box! 

We shall use this library to work with Rest APIs

Please refer to the following trinket to see an example on GET, POST, PUT, DELETE operations in Python