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<h1>API Integration</h1>

<p>The majority of production Python web applications rely on several

externally hosted application programming interfaces (APIs). APIs are also

commonly referred to as third party services or external platforms.

Examples include <a href="https://www.twilio.com/">Twilio</a> for messaging and voice

services, <a href="https://stripe.com/">Stripe</a> for payment processing, and

<a href="https://disqus.com/">Disqus</a> for embedded webpage comments.</p>

<p>There are many articles about proper API design but best practices for

integrating APIs is less commonly written about. However, this subject

continuously grows in importance because APIs provide critical functionality

across many implementation areas.</p>

<h2>Hosted API testing services</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.runscope.com/">Runscope</a> is a service specifically designed

for APIs that assists developers with automated testing and traffic

inspection.</p>

<p><a href="http://apiary.io/">Apiary</a> provides a blueprint for creating APIs so

they are easier to test and generate clean documentation.</p>

<h2>API Integration Resources</h2>

<p>Some developers prefer to use

<a href="http://docs.python-requests.org/en/latest/">Requests</a> instead of an API's

helper library. In that case check out this

<a href="http://engineering.hackerearth.com/2014/08/21/python-requests-module/">tutorial on using requests to access web APIs</a>.</p>

<p>There's a list of all government web APIs at

<a href="http://18f.github.io/API-All-the-X/">18F's API-All-the-X list</a>. The list

is updated whenever a new API comes online.</p>

<p>If you use Requests check out this handy guide on gracefully

<a href="http://www.mobify.com/blog/http-requests-are-hard/">handling HTTP errors with Python</a>.</p>

<p>John Sheehan's

"<a href="https://speakerdeck.com/johnsheehan/zen-and-the-art-of-api-maintenance">Zen and the Art of API Maintenance</a>"

slides are relevant for API integration.</p>

<p>This post on

"<a href="https://stormpath.com/blog/api-driven-development/">API Driven Development</a>"

by Randall Degges explains how using APIs in your application cuts down

on the amount of code you have to write and maintain so you can launch your

application faster.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/SmartBear_Software/safe-sex-with-thirdparty-apis">Safe Sex with Third Party APIs</a>

is a funny high level overview of what you should do to protect your

application when relying on third party services.</p>

<p><a href="http://migrateup.com/python-retry-patterns-for-http-apis/">API Retry Patterns</a>

shows you how to build resiliency into calls to web APIs.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.coglib.com/~icordasc/blog/2014/12/retries-in-requests.html">Retries in Requests</a>

is a nice tutorial for easily re-executing failed HTTP requests with the

Requests library.</p>

<p>My DjangoCon 2013 talk dove into

"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGP8DQIqxXs">Making Django Play Nice With Third Party Services</a>."</p>

<p>If you're looking for a fun project that uses two web APIs within a

Django application, try out this tutorial to

<a href="https://www.twilio.com/blog/2014/11/build-your-own-pokedex-with-django-mms-and-pokeapi.html">Build your own Pokédex with Django, MMS and PokéAPI</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.brianthicks.com/2014/12/01/test-apis-properly-with-vcr-py/">vcr.py</a>

is a way to capture and replay HTTP requests with mocks. It's extremely

useful for testing API integrations.</p>

<p><a href="https://realpython.com/blog/python/caching-external-api-requests/">Caching external API requests</a>

is a good post on how to potentially limit the number of HTTP calls

required when accessing an external web API via the Requests library.</p>

<h2>API integration learning checklist</h2>

<p><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i>

Pick an API known for top notch documentation. Here's a list of

<a href="https://medium.com/she-hacks-hacker-academy/4d3c43be9386">ten APIs that are a good starting point for beginners</a>.</p>

<p><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i>

Read the API documentation for your chosen API. Figure out a simple use case

for how your application could be improved by using that API.</p>

<p><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i>

Before you start writing any code, play around with the API through the

commandline with <a href="http://curl.haxx.se/">curl</a> or in the browser with

<a href="http://www.getpostman.com/">Postman</a>. This exercise will help you get a

better understanding of API authentication and the data required for requests

and responses.</p>

<p><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i>

Evaluate whether to use a helper library or work with

<a href="http://docs.python-requests.org/en/latest/">Requests</a>. Helper libraries are

usually easier to get started with while Requests gives you more control over

the HTTP calls.</p>

<p><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i>

Move your API calls into a <a href="/task-queues.html">task queue</a> so they do not

block the HTTP request-response cycle for your web application.</p>

<h3>What's next after integrating APIs into your app?</h3>

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How do I create an API for my own web application?

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How can I invoke APIs outside the HTTP request-response cycle?

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