Stage 2 · Lesson 4 of 10
HTTP, APIs and status codes
An is an agreed way for one piece of software to ask another for data or actions. Web APIs usually work over , the language of the web. A request has a method that says what you want: GET to read, POST to create, PUT or PATCH to update, and DELETE to remove.
It also has a URL for the endpoint, the address of one feature. carry extra details, such as an that proves who you are. Some requests also carry a body of data.
The response comes back with a status code and usually a JSON body. Codes in the 200s mean success. Codes in the 400s mean the client did something wrong, such as 401 for missing (the API does not know who you are) or 404 for not found.
Codes in the 500s mean the server failed. APIs are central to all three roles, and making a few real calls yourself is the fastest way to understand them.
Common traplearning the words without ever sending a request.
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Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- VideoFreeCrash Course Computer Science
CrashCourse · Beginner
Short free videos on how computers, networks and software work, pitched at beginners
- CourseFreeSelect Star SQL
Zi Chong Kao · Beginner
A free interactive SQL tutorial on real data, enough for product and docs analytics