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api-specific-terminology.md

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Discover the key terms and concepts that empower your automation. Navigate the world of APIs with ease and leverage their full potential in your Rewst workflows!
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API Specific Terminology

General Terms

  • API (Application Programming Interface): A set of protocols that allow actions on a platform in a programmatic manner. APIs power Rewst's integrations, enabling the actions that your workflows perform.
  • HTTP Request Method: Specifies the action to be performed on a resource within an API. E.g., GET (retrieve data), POST (create or query data), PUT (update data), DELETE (remove data).
  • Header: Additional information sent with an HTTP request. E.g., content type.
  • Endpoint: A specific path added to the URL where an API can call back specific object's properties. E.g., https://api.example.com/users/123
  • Path Parameter: A unique identifier in the URL that identifies specific data, such as an ID in API calls. E.g., the 123 in /users/123.
  • Query Parameter: An optional parameter available to be added to the Endpoint to filter the API call for some endpoints. E.g., ?status=active.
  • Body: The part of an HTTP request containing data sent to the API, typically structured in formats like JSON or XML. Example JSON body: {"username": "john_doe", "password": "secret"}.
  • Cookies: Small pieces of data stored on a user's computer by a web server, used by APIs to manage sessions or track user behavior.
  • Timeout: The maximum time allowed for a request to be processed
  • Status Codes: Numeric codes returned by a server to indicate the result of an HTTP request. E.g., 200 (success), 404 (not found), and 500 (server error).
  • Output: Content returned by a server in response to a request, including messages, data objects, or other information. E.g., {"status": "success", "token": "abc123"}.
  • Redirects: The automatic forwarding of an HTTP request from one URL to another. E.g., redirecting from http://example.com to https://example.com to enforce use of HTTPS.

Authentication

  • Authentication Method: The process of verifying the identity of a user or application. The required authentication method will depend on the API you're attempting to access.
  • API Key: A unique identifier used during integration setup, allowing secure communication between platforms without re-entering the key for each action.
  • Basic Authentication: A method that requires a username and password, often used for web server login.
  • OAuth: An open standard for access delegation, often used to grant token-based authentication and authorization.

{% hint style="info" %} For more detail, or information on more complex authentication methods check out Mozilla's Developer Network (MDN) documentation on HTTP authentication methods. {% endhint %}

Data Formats and Media Types

  • Content-Type: A specific header used in HTTP requests to indicate the media type, such as application/json for JSON data.
  • XML (Extensible Markup Language): A markup language used to encode data in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.
  • JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A format designed for human readability and quick editing, JSON allows you to structure complex data in a way that's both accessible and efficient. It's a go-to choice for sending and receiving data with APIs, making it a vital part of Rewst's functionality.
  • Multipart/Form-Data: A media type used to send files as part of an HTTP request, allowing for the uploading of files along with textual data.
  • File Upload: The process of sending files such as images, documents, or other binary data as part of an HTTP request to an API. Typically used with the content type multipart/form-data when passing files within form submissions.

{% hint style="info" %} For more information on sending form data, including file uploads, see MDN Web Docs - Sending Form Data. {% endhint %}