API = Some REST and HTTP, right? RIGHT?!

Is your API returning a 500 error for a downstream failure? Learn the common pitfalls and design patterns for building truly robust APIs.

#1about 2 minutes

The challenges of building and maintaining APIs

Building an API is one thing, but maintaining it or inheriting a poorly designed one presents a significant challenge for developers.

#2about 3 minutes

Lessons learned from the era of SOAP APIs

SOAP APIs offered strong contracts through WSDL files but suffered from verbosity and complex code generation workflows.

#3about 3 minutes

Properly using HTTP status codes for errors

Avoid returning a generic 500 error for client-side or downstream issues by using the correct HTTP status codes to provide meaningful feedback.

#4about 3 minutes

Understanding the role of hypermedia in true REST APIs

Moving beyond simple JSON endpoints, true REST APIs use hypermedia (HATEOAS) to provide clients with links for discoverable actions.

#5about 3 minutes

Comparing different API versioning strategies

APIs can be versioned through URL paths, custom request headers, or media types, each with its own trade-offs for discoverability and implementation.

#6about 2 minutes

A practical guide to deprecating old API versions

Effectively deprecate old API endpoints by providing warnings, using temporary or permanent redirects, and logging usage to manage the transition.

#7about 3 minutes

Automating API documentation with OpenAPI specifications

Instead of manually writing static documentation, use annotations to auto-generate a living OpenAPI specification that serves as a reliable API contract.

#8about 3 minutes

Securing APIs with JWT, RBAC, and CORS

Secure API endpoints by implementing authentication with JWT, managing authorization with role-based access control (RBAC), and correctly configuring CORS.

#9about 3 minutes

Implementing advanced patterns like pagination and bulk operations

Improve API performance and usability with advanced patterns such as pagination, filtering, sorting, asynchronous processing, and bulk create/update operations.

#10about 2 minutes

Exploring alternatives to REST like gRPC and GraphQL

While REST is common, alternatives like the high-performance binary protocol gRPC or the flexible query language GraphQL can be better for specific use cases.