APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are a critical component of web development and programming. They provide a way for different applications and systems to communicate with each other, exchanging data and enabling functionalities.
We just published an API basics course on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel. This is an updated version of what is already one of the most popular API courses on the Internet.
Craig Dennis teaches this course. He is an excellent developer educator and he works for Twilio.
In this beginner's course, you will learn about APIs, why they exist, and the many benefits they offer. You will get hands-on experience working with a few popular web APIs and gain a thorough understanding of how they work.
The course is broken down into the following three units, each building on the previous one:
- What is an API?
- Exploring APIs
- All Together Now
In the first unit, you will learn the basics of APIs, including what they are and how they are used. You will also learn about RESTful APIs and how the web works.
In the second unit, you will explore APIs and gain hands-on experience working with them. You will learn how to use APIs from the command line, how to use tools to explore APIs, and more.
Finally, in the third unit, you will bring everything together, working on a project that involves writing a server-side API, fetching results on the client from your server, and wrapping up the course.
This course is suitable for those who have a basic understanding of coding and the web. So, if you're looking to learn more about APIs and how to work with them, this video course is an excellent place to start.
Watch the full course on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel (3-hour watch).