API Development
A Guide to Efficient Data Handling
Imagine you’re doing API testing, and you're ready to try a GET request to fetch data. Since you're new to this, you're not entirely sure what to expect, so you go ahead and send your request.
However, when the response arrives, it isn't clear if you've received all the data or if part of it is still on the way. That's where Content-Length comes in. The Content-Length HTTP header defines exactly how much data you should expect in an API response, which is crucial in API development and API Mocking to ensure data accuracy.
November 13, 2024 | 13 min read
API Development
GroceryGuardian’s 2024 Hackathon Win Shows Intense Acceleration
As a part of the API World 2024 Hackathon Challenge, we asked teams to create an API as quickly as possible in Blackbird and another solution to organically demonstrate the level of acceleration and speed that Blackbird can bring to the development table.
One of our winning teams, the GroceryGuardian team, built the same API in two environments. One was created in Blackbird api development, where Go is used to create the various endpoints and test the API with its mock feature. The other was built with Python and FastAPI. They also created unit tests and mock data from the database and used the Postgres DB database in both cases.
November 12, 2024 | 6 min read
API Development
APIs are tools that allow different software programs to talk to each other. When one program needs to access data or services from another, it uses an API to make the request.
These APIs also set the rules for this interaction, such as what information can be requested and how the response will be sent. One of the main reasons APIs are so important is that they allow different software systems to work together without needing to know each system's inner details.
But how to build an API that meets these standards? We'll go through the various steps needed to design your API and how you can document them. We'll also discuss how relying on testing environment tools such as Blackbird API development platform can make API testing much more convenient.
October 31, 2024 | 21 min read
API Gateway
I’m Cindy Mullins, the Community Manager here at Ambassador. Our Community Corner segments on LinkedIn feature deep dives into common questions we get in our Community about our products: Edge Stack, Telepresence, and Blackbird.
In this segment we’re talking about Edge Stack Kubernetes API Gateway configuration: specifically, annotations vs Kubernetes Custom Resource Definitions (or CRDs).
CRDs vs Annotation-based configuration
October 30, 2024 | 12 min read
API Development
A technical guide to writing clear and effective API documentation
APIs allow web applications to communicate and interact with each other. They're responsible for the back-and-forth that happens on your browser because, underneath any communication on the web, it's one service making or responding to a request from another service or API.
However, when developers document these APIs, the explanations often end up being too technical or unclear. It's not an intentional act; they just sometimes tend to assume that others will understand how it works, which isn't always the case.
October 29, 2024 | 22 min read
API Development
APIs have changed the way software communicates, but as they become more complex, the need for a clear and standardized way to describe their functions grows. Poorly designed APIs can introduce vulnerabilities, create integration issues, and slow down development processes.
This is where Open API specification (OAS) comes into play.
It helps address these issues by providing a common framework for API documentation and design. Understanding its structure and best practices can greatly improve the efficiency of your API projects, making them more reliable and adaptable.
October 25, 2024 | 13 min read
