1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:05,240 -: Our next topic is the URL structure of the API. 2 00:00:05,430 --> 00:00:08,160 So a quick reminder, if you remember 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,850 this is how a typical API request looks like. 4 00:00:11,850 --> 00:00:14,010 We have the method which we discussed 5 00:00:14,010 --> 00:00:15,900 in the previous section, 6 00:00:15,900 --> 00:00:18,813 we have the headers, and we have the URL, 7 00:00:19,740 --> 00:00:21,480 and the URL is the part 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,613 we are going to discuss in this section. 9 00:00:24,990 --> 00:00:28,440 So when talking about URL structure, 10 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,560 we actually talking about the definition 11 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,739 of the structure of the API's URL 12 00:00:34,739 --> 00:00:39,450 meaning what data should it contain, and in which order, 13 00:00:39,450 --> 00:00:41,823 and what is the importance of all this? 14 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:47,613 So actually the URL is the most important part of the API. 15 00:00:47,613 --> 00:00:51,950 This is the first thing a developer using your API will see. 16 00:00:51,950 --> 00:00:55,830 And it will often be used to judge your API 17 00:00:55,830 --> 00:00:57,645 and it will be a major factor 18 00:00:57,645 --> 00:01:01,110 in the decision of whether to use it or not. 19 00:01:01,110 --> 00:01:05,880 So for these reasons, the URL must be well thought of. 20 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,330 You cannot just slap some URL on your API 21 00:01:09,330 --> 00:01:13,770 and hope that users will come, because they simply won't. 22 00:01:13,770 --> 00:01:17,550 So what you should know about the URL is that 23 00:01:17,550 --> 00:01:20,100 it should be self-explanatory. 24 00:01:20,100 --> 00:01:24,000 So if a developer will look at the URL of the API 25 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:25,650 he will be able to understand 26 00:01:25,650 --> 00:01:27,702 what exactly this API is doing, 27 00:01:27,702 --> 00:01:30,840 even without looking at the documentation. 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,203 And, between us, nobody likes to read documentation. 29 00:01:35,340 --> 00:01:39,330 In addition, the URL should be consistent across the API. 30 00:01:39,330 --> 00:01:42,120 So if you decide on a specific template 31 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,280 of how the API should look like, 32 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,840 then all your APIs should be compliant with this template, 33 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,690 and the URL should be predictable. 34 00:01:51,690 --> 00:01:54,120 So if a developer used your API 35 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,008 for a specific result or specific action, 36 00:01:57,008 --> 00:02:01,007 and now she wants to use it for another action, 37 00:02:01,007 --> 00:02:04,290 then she should be able to roughly predict 38 00:02:04,290 --> 00:02:07,860 how the URL will look like for the other action. 39 00:02:07,860 --> 00:02:10,139 And when making the URL predictable, 40 00:02:10,139 --> 00:02:13,320 you will make your client's life much more easier, 41 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,560 and you will have a better chance of them using it. 42 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,910 So to summarize, your URL should be self explanatory, 43 00:02:20,910 --> 00:02:22,612 consistent, and predictable 44 00:02:22,612 --> 00:02:26,700 or no one will use it, because no one likes 45 00:02:26,700 --> 00:02:29,430 to use something that is incomprehensible 46 00:02:29,430 --> 00:02:31,083 or difficult to use. 47 00:02:32,250 --> 00:02:35,175 Okay, so now let's analyze the various components 48 00:02:35,175 --> 00:02:37,154 of the URL and explain how 49 00:02:37,154 --> 00:02:40,173 and well should they be implemented.