We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.
Course image
Udacity logo

API Development and Documentation

Caryn McCarthy

Learn to effectively manage web applications using APIs and grasp best practices for testing and documentation in our API documentation course. Enroll now!

Prerequisite details

Read more

Learn to effectively manage web applications using APIs and grasp best practices for testing and documentation in our API documentation course. Enroll now!

Prerequisite details

To optimize your success in this program, we've created a list of prerequisites and recommendations to help you prepare for the curriculum. Prior to enrolling, you should have the following knowledge:

  • Basic web development

You will also need to be able to communicate fluently and professionally in written and spoken English.

What's inside

Syllabus

In this lesson, you'll learn what APIs are, how they're implemented, and why they're important. We'll also dive into the concepts of Internet Protocols and REST.
Read more
In this lesson, you'll learn about HTTP—including methods, requests, responses and status codes— as well as how to set up a Flask app, and implement and test endpoints using Curl.
In this lesson, you'll learn about how Flask is extensible in itself to handle different kinds of methods, more complex endpoints, and to return formatted data to the client.
This lesson teaches students the benefits and purposes of testing an API, Test-Driven Development for APIs and implementing the tests using unittest.
To round out the course, students will consider and write API documentation and project documentation so their projects can be hosted, shared, and used by other developers with clarity.
In this project, you'll use your new API and API documentation skills to build a trivia API.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Teaches best practices for testing and documentation within API development
Provides hands-on experience building a trivia API
Introduces the concepts of Internet Protocols and RESTful APIs
Intended for learners with basic web development knowledge
Utilizes popular tools such as Flask for API implementation
Covers testing aspects of API development using unittest

Save this course

Save API Development and Documentation to your list so you can find it easily later:
Save

Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for API Development and Documentation. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

Career center

Learners who complete API Development and Documentation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Web Developer
APIs are an increasingly important part of web development. As more businesses move to cloud computing and offer modular applications, the need for developers who understand how to interface with external APIs will grow. This course can help individuals learn how to design, implement, and test APIs, and prepare learners for a career in developing modern web applications.
Technical Writer
APIs need to be documented so that other developers can use them. Technical Writers are responsible for writing this documentation. This course can help current and aspiring Technical Writers develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Data Scientist
Like Data Analysts, Data Scientists can use APIs to access and analyze data. This course can help current and aspiring Data Scientists develop and implement APIs to manage data more effectively, which can help them to build more accurate and reliable models and make better predictions.
Business Analyst
APIs are also becoming increasingly important in business analysis. Business Analysts can use APIs to access and analyze data from a variety of sources, both internal and external to their organization. The can then use this information to make recommendations to improve business processes and decision-making. This course can help Business Analysts develop and implement APIs to access, analyze, and manage data more effectively.
Data Analyst
APIs are not just for web applications; they can also be used to access and manage data. Data Analysts can use APIs to access and analyze data from a variety of sources, both internal and external to their organization. This course can help Data Analysts improve their understanding of how APIs work, and learn how to develop and implement APIs to access, analyze, and manage data more effectively.
Technical Support Specialist
Technical Support Specialists often work with APIs. They need to understand how APIs work in order to provide technical support to customers. This course can help current and aspiring Technical Support Specialists develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Database Administrator
Database Administrators often work with APIs. They need to understand how APIs work in order to manage and maintain databases. This course can help current and aspiring Database Administrators develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Information Security Analyst
APIs can be a security risk. Information Security Analysts need to understand how APIs work in order to protect systems from unauthorized access and data breaches. This course can help current and aspiring Information Security Analysts develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Product Manager
Product Managers need to understand how APIs work in order to make informed decisions about how to integrate them into their products. They also need to be able to work with engineers to develop and implement APIs. This course can help current and aspiring Product Managers develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Information Technology Specialist
Information Technology Specialists often work with APIs. They need to understand how APIs work in order to manage and maintain IT systems. This course can help current and aspiring Information Technology Specialists develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Project Manager
APIs are often used in complex software projects. Project Managers need to understand how APIs work in order to plan and manage projects effectively. This course can help current and aspiring Project Managers develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Software Architect
Software Architects need to understand how APIs work in order to design and implement software systems. This course can help current and aspiring Software Architects develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Software Tester
Software Testers often work with APIs. They need to understand how APIs work in order to test software effectively. This course can help current and aspiring Software Testers develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Computer Systems Analyst
Computer Systems Analysts often work with APIs. They need to understand how APIs work in order to design and implement computer systems. This course can help current and aspiring Computer Systems Analysts develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
Software Engineer
The work of Software Engineers is quite similar to the work of Web Developers, as much of it also involves developing and implementing computer software. This course may help current and aspiring Software Engineers prepare for the work of designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software systems. The course focuses on how to develop and implement APIs and how to create documentation for created programs. With the advent of cloud computing, understanding how to interact with external systems through APIs is increasingly important.

Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in API Development and Documentation.
Provides a comprehensive overview of RESTful web APIs, including best practices and industry standards for API design. It is considered a classic in the field and offers in-depth knowledge on topics such as architectural patterns, resource representation, and security.
Provides a comprehensive guide to building RESTful web APIs using Flask, a popular Python framework. It covers topics such as routing, data validation, and API documentation. Students who want to apply the concepts learned in the course to a specific technology stack may find this book helpful.
Emphasizes the importance of documentation in software development, including API documentation. It provides a practical guide to writing clear and concise documentation that can improve communication and collaboration among developers.
Provides practical guidance on securing web APIs. It covers topics such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and vulnerability management. Students who want to enhance their knowledge of API security will find this book valuable.
Provides a comprehensive guide to unit testing software. While not specifically focused on API testing, it offers valuable insights and best practices that can be applied to API development. Students who want to improve their testing skills may find this book helpful.
Provides a practical introduction to pytest, a popular testing framework for Python. It covers topics such as test fixture management, parameterization, and mocking. Students who want to learn how to test Python code effectively may find this book useful.
Presents a layered architecture approach to software design. While not specifically focused on API development, it offers valuable principles and practices for designing maintainable and extensible software systems.
Provides guidance on designing data-intensive applications that are reliable, scalable, and maintainable. While not specifically focused on API development, it offers valuable insights into data management and storage strategies that can be applied to API-driven systems.
Explores design patterns and best practices for building microservices-based architectures. While not specifically focused on API development, microservices are a common architectural style for modern web APIs. Students who want to learn more about this approach may find this book helpful.

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:

Similar courses

Here are nine courses similar to API Development and Documentation.
APIs
Most relevant
Spring Framework: Documenting Spring Data Rest APIs with...
Most relevant
Learn API Technical Writing 2: REST for Writers
Most relevant
Minimal API Development with ASP.NET Core
Most relevant
Learn API Technical Writing: JSON and XML for Writers
Most relevant
FastAPI Fundamentals
Most relevant
The Complete FastAPI Course With OAuth & JWT...
Documenting RESTful Services Using Spring REST Docs 3
Postman - Intro to APIs (without coding)
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2024 OpenCourser