The document outlines the development of a custom API by Charlie Van De Kerkhof, focusing on RESTful architecture, integration with web code, and support for multiple data formats like HTML, XML, and JSON. It describes the setup involving database models, controllers, and views, and emphasizes error handling and response codes for different request methods. The presentation also highlights the importance of testing controller actions and rendering views through generic templates.

1. Courier New
Bold
18 pt
Charlie-preso
Building a custom API
by Charlie van de Kerkhof (primeminister)
CakeFest #3 July 2009

2. Goals
• RESTful with the correct HTTP code
• API like twitter to open up to the public in
the near future
• Smooth integration with code for the
website
• Return values HTML, XML and JSON
• Not necessarily the correct methods
(POST,GET,DELETE,PUT)

3. What is it?
• Link sharing (like del.icio.us) with groups
and users
• Comments on links
• Trusted group of friends
• Links are not necessarily bookmarks!

4. Setup
• Database
• Routes
• Model
• Controller
• Views (HTML, XML & JSON)
• Tests

5. Database

6. Models
• Baked the associations
• Basic validation in model
• AppModel: Using containable
• AppModel: Overwrite del() method for
using ‘status’ field in tables.

7. AppController
• Setting up helpers and components
• Mapping request methods to actions
• Defining up HTTP response codes
• Populate POST request to $this->data
Because this APP is also meant
to get data from HTML forms

8. GET Request
/links/view/primeminister.xml
• Controller => links, action => view
params[‘pass’][0] = ’primeminister’
• Check nickname variable
• Find the links from this user
• Set the results and options

9. APP/controllers/links_controller.php

11. Error occurs
f.i. nickname is not same as loggedin user
• Calls AppController::setError()
• setError() checks which request is made
(XML, JSON, HTML)
• When HTML is requested it calls the
Session::setFlash method
• Other requests it sets the viewVars and
renders the error template errcode & code:
errcode: to define f.e. 1007 what is missing.
For developers handy to program
Code: HTTP response code

12. APP/controllers/links_controller.php

13. APP/app_controller.php

14. continue... APP/app_controller.php

15. continue... APP/app_controller.php

16. Views
• Created generic template files
• XML: Xml::serialize with format=>tags
• JSON with $javascript->object($record);
• When necessary create template file in
views/{controller} folder to override
generic template
• Put this check in
AppController::beforeRender

17. APP/views/generic/xml/view.ctp

18. APP/views/generic/json/view.ctp

19. APP/views/links/xml/view.ctp

20. Links view (XML)
/links/view/primeminister.xml?limit=2&page=3

21. Error view (XML)

22. Routes

23. Controller tests
• Test made on controller actions
• Checks for view variables
• errocode & code check
• Don’t forget to check on errors!

24. tests/cases/controllers/links_controllers.test.php

25. Summarize

26. • Loosely map request method (POST/
GET/...) to action
• For using in website and as API (!)
• Return response codes and Mento errors
• Easier for developer to check what error
• Rendering views based on generic template
• Tests on controller and viewVars (code)

27. Question (& Answers?)

28. Thanks!
Web: http://www.cake-toppings.com
IRC: primeminister
Twitter: http://twitter.com/charli3