This function allows us to return 404 pages when something goes wrong in the application. Import flask — Imports the Flask library, making the code available to the rest of the application. Save this code as api.py in the api folder you created for this tutorial. JSON is a text-based data storage format that is designed to be easy to read for both humans and machines. JSON is generally the most common format for returning data through an API, XML being the second most common.

The details endpoint has an interpolated variable in the endpoint string called programming_language_id. This variable allows you to query for python api design a specific item in your datastore. The id refers to the index in the list related to a specific instance of a programming language resource.

Installing Flask

This type is a Python enumerator, which we still have to create, that will help us filter transactions in the future. Python has a number of web frameworks that can be used to create web apps and APIs. The most well-known is Django, a framework that has a set project structure and which includes many built-in tools. This can save time and effort for experienced programmers, but can be overwhelming. Flask applications tend to be written on a blank canvas, so to speak, and so are more suited to a contained application such as our prototype API. The primary focus of this lesson is on creating an API, not exploring or using an API that has already been implemented.

Integrating with the preferred debugger for the target language should be easy. Error messages should be concise, correlated with the service, actionable, and human readable. Ideally, the error message should lead the consumer to a useful action that they can take. Developers can be overwhelmed when learning new service concepts. We are experts in the supported technologies so our customers, the developers, don’t have to be.

Lesson 9: Web API Design with Flask

And be patient, we will talk about that in the subsequent chapters. For now, let’s stay simple and get ourselves familiar with Flask first. Python is a flexible language that can be used for much more than just script development. By knowing the Python RESTful APIs work, you can build a powerful backend for web applications and mobile applications using Python.