REST APIs, Endpoint by Endpoint

Build and Deploy a Live API Dashboard

Omar Brandt

• Publisher: Chiify
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Computer Science
• eBook ISBN:
  9798259604001
• Subtopic: Web Programming
• Index: Computer Science

REST APIs, endpoint by endpoint, HTTP methods, status codes, authentication, request-to-response flow, build web APIs from scratch. Omar Brandt delivers a practical, hands-on guide that takes you from beginner to pro, covering every layer of modern API development. You'll learn how to design, build, and test real web APIs, with clear explanations of GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH requests, plus the meaning behind every status code (200, 201, 400, 401, 403, 404, 500, and more). The book walks you through authentication techniques like API keys, OAuth 2.0, and JWT tokens, and demystifies the complete request-to-response flow that powers every modern app—from browser clicks to server processing to database queries. Each chapter focuses on a specific endpoint, so you can follow along and build a fully functional API from scratch. Whether you're a student, a self-taught developer, or a seasoned coder looking to solidify your skills, this book provides step-by-step projects, real-world examples, and troubleshooting tips. You'll master RESTful principles, learn to handle errors gracefully, and understand how to secure your endpoints. By the end, you'll have the confidence to build production-ready APIs that scale. Unlike other resources that just scratch the surface, this book goes deep into practical implementation. For readers of The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore and The Other Emily by Riley Sager, this title offers a completely different yet equally transformative journey into the world of web development.

Table of contents

• REST APIs, Endpoint by Endpoint
• REST APIs, Endpoint by Endpoint
• Preface
• Chapter 1 — What Is an API? Seeing the Invisible Connectors
• Chapter 2 — The Client-Server Handshake: Requests, Responses, and the HTTP Protocol
• Chapter 3 — Setting Up Your Toolbox: Postman, VS Code, and Your First API Call
• Chapter 4 — Understanding API Keys, Tokens, and Authentication Basics
• Chapter 5 — Public vs. Private APIs: When to Use Which and How to Stay Safe
• Chapter 6 — HTTP Methods in Practice: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE
• Chapter 7 — Endpoints, Resources, and Data Models: Mapping the API Landscape
• Chapter 8 — Handling Responses: Parsing JSON, Error Checking, and Status Codes
• Chapter 9 — Building the Dashboard Backend: A Simple Python Script to Fetch All Three APIs
• Chapter 10 — From Script to Web: Introduction to Flask for Serving API Data
• Chapter 11 — Adding a Frontend: HTML, CSS, and Basic DOM Manipulation
• Chapter 12 — Authentication close look: API Keys vs. OAuth 2.0
• Chapter 13 — Rate Limits, Pagination, and Caching: Staying Within API Boundaries
• Chapter 14 — Debugging API Integrations: Logging, Postman Tests, and Error Responses
• Chapter 15 — Securing Your Integration: Environment Variables and Secrets Management
• Chapter 16 — Deploying Your Dashboard: Going Live with a Free Hosting Service
• Chapter 17 — Extending the Dashboard: Adding More APIs and Features
• Chapter 18 — Next Steps: From Consumer to Creator – Designing Your Own API
• About the Author