Creating a Public API

computermax2328 · November 11, 2013

Hey All,

Does anyone have any good articles or books on how to create a public API with PHP. I understand how API's work, although it wouldn't hurt to read up on them, but I am really just looking to understand how one can be built with PHP.

Thanks in advance,

computermax2328 · November 11, 2013

I am gonna answer my own question on this, but if anyone wants to chime in with any best practices or experiences they have had building an API with PHP, please feel free.

Below is a link to an O'Reilly's book on creating API's with PHP. The link lets you download the ebook for free! #winning!

http://it-ebooks.info/book/2268/

ignace · November 12, 2013

guzzle

computermax2328 · November 12, 2013

Solid! Thanks man!

Anyone else?

trq · November 12, 2013

I've not used it myself (and I'm not much of a ZF fan) but there is a lot of chatter around about Apigility at the moment.

snoopytamp · November 13, 2013

I have never used 9lessons, but my friend said it's a good site to learn public APIs for PHP. you might want to try it. you're welcome in advance.

computermax2328 · November 13, 2013

Awesome! Thanks guys. I am gonna check out Apigility and 9lessons tonight.

Does anyone else have some input?

QuickOldCar · November 18, 2013

I made some php api's, aren't really that hard to do at all.

I guess the most important part is that you are using clean data.

First take a look at some of the links for json, xml and html formats

html

json

xml

Basically they are all simple GET requests, I check if they are set and not empty, for some I insert default values in case is not set.

Then you query your database and fetch some data.(yes did this a while ago and is mysql versus mysqli)

If no format is set I default to json

Use a switch or if/else statement and show different outputs.

I'll paste my entire api code here, seems easier than editing it with dummy values.

<?php

if(isset($_GET['format']) && trim($_GET['format']) != ''){
$format = trim($_GET['format']);
} else {
$format = "json";
}

$style_array = array("default","title","video");
if(!isset($_GET['style']) || trim($_GET['style']) == ''){
$style = "default";
} else {
$style = trim(strtolower($_GET['style']));
}

if(!in_array($style,$style_array)){
$style = "default";
}

if(!isset($_GET['max']) || trim($_GET['max']) == ''){
$max_results = 10;
} else {
$max_results = (int) trim($_GET['max']);
}

if($max_results > 50){
$max_results = 50;
}

if(!isset($_GET['startrow']) || trim($_GET['startrow']) == ''){
$startrow = 0;
} else {
$startrow = (int) trim($_GET['startrow']);
}

//$startrow = $startrow - $max_results;

if($startrow <= 0){
$startrow = 0;
}

if(!isset($_GET['display']) || trim($_GET['display']) == ''){
$display = "id";
} else {
$display = trim($_GET['display']);
}

if(!isset($_GET['order']) || trim($_GET['order']) == ''){
$order = "desc";
} else {
$order = trim($_GET['order']);
}

if($display !== "id" && !isset($_GET['order'])){
$order = "asc";
}

if(!isset($_GET['size']) || trim($_GET['size']) == ''){
$size = 190;
} else {
$size = (int) trim($_GET['size']);
}

$format_array = array("json","xml","html");
if(!in_array($format,$format_array )){
$format = "json";
}

$_GET['s'] = strtolower($_GET['s']);
    $var = @mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['s']);
    //$var = $_GET['s'];
    $trimmed = trim($var); //trim whitespace from the stored variable
    $trimmed_length = strlen($trimmed);
    if ($trimmed_length > 200) {
    //limit to 200 characters
        $trimmed = substr($trimmed, 0, 200);
    }

    //remove need for +
    $explode_trimmed = explode(" ", $trimmed);

    foreach ($explode_trimmed as $trim_words) {
        if (substr($trim_words, 0, 1) != "-" || substr($trim_words, 0, 1) != '"') {
            $trim_words = trim($trim_words);
            $trimmed_words .= " +$trim_words";
        } else {
            $trim_words = trim($trim_words);
            $trimmed_words .= " $trim_words";
        }
    }
    $trimmed_words = trim($trimmed_words);
    $trimmed_words = preg_replace('/\s+/', ' ', $trimmed_words);


    $trimmed_words = str_replace(array("  ", "  +", "+ +", "  -", "+++"), array(" ", " +", " +", " -", "++"), $trimmed_words);


mysql_connect("localhost", "username", "password");
mysql_select_db("mydatabase") or die("Unable to select database");

$display = mysql_real_escape_string($display);
$order = mysql_real_escape_string($order);
$startrow = mysql_real_escape_string($startrow);
$max_results = mysql_real_escape_string($max_results);
$trimmed_words = mysql_real_escape_string($trimmed_words);

if($var == ''){
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM videolinks WHERE status='1' GROUP BY $display $order Limit $startrow ,$max_results");
} else {
$result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM videolinks WHERE status='1' AND MATCH (title,description) AGAINST ('$trimmed_words' IN BOOLEAN MODE) GROUP BY $display $order Limit $startrow,$max_results");
}


switch ($format) {
//json api
            case 'json':
                // you can uncomment it for Live version
                header('Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8');
                if (count($result)) {
                while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
                    echo json_encode(array('data' => $row ));
                    }
                } else {
                    echo json_encode(array('data' => 'Nothing found'));
                }
                break;
                
//xml api
            case 'xml':
                $sCode = '';

                if (count($result)) {
                function convertchar($chars){
                $chars =
                    $chars = str_replace(array("&&","<",">"),array("&","&lt","&gt"),$chars);
                    $chars = htmlspecialchars($chars,ENT_QUOTES);
                    return $chars;
                    }
                    
                while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
                    $link_id = $row['id'];
    $link_url = convertchar($row['url']);
    $link_domain = convertchar($row['domain']);
    $link_title =  convertchar($row['title']);
    $link_description =  convertchar($row['description']);
    if($link_domain == "youtube.com"){
    $ytid = end(explode("~v=~",$link_url));
    $thumbnail = "http://img.youtube.com/vi/".$ytid."/0.jpg";
    $thumbnail_href = "<a href='$yturl' target='_blank'><img src='$thumbnail' border='0'></a>";
    }
    $video_display = @file_get_contents("http://dynainternet.com/dynavid/embed.php?video=$link_url&width=835&height=505");

                        $sCode .= <<<EOF

    <id>{$link_id}</id>
    <url>{$link_url}</url>
    <title>{$link_title}</title>
    <description>{$link_description}</description>
    <domain>{$link_domain}</domain>

EOF;
                    }
                }


                header('Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8');
                echo <<<EOF
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<videos>
{$sCode}
</videos>
EOF;
                break;
                
//html api  
            case 'html':
            ?>
            <style>
    p {
        color: white;
        background:black;
    }

    a {
        color: white;
        background:black;
    }
    
    a:hover {
        color: black;
        background:white;
    }
    .nav {
    font-size:18;
    text-align:center;
    background-color:black;
    }

</style>
            <?php
            if (count($result)) {
            //pagination
            $url = filter_var("http://" . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'], FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
    if (!empty($_SERVER["QUERY_STRING"])) {
        $query_string = filter_var($_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'], FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
        $url .= "?" . $query_string;
        
        if (!preg_match("/startrow=/i", $url)) {
            $url = $url . "&startrow=$startrow";
        }
        
        if (!preg_match("/max=/i", $url)) {
            $url = $url . "&max=$max_results";
        }
        
        if (!preg_match("/size=/i", $url)) {
            $url = $url . "&size=$size";
        }
        
                
    }


    $url = preg_replace('/\s+/', ' ', $url);
    $url = str_replace(array("++", "+++", "+ +"), " +", $url);
    $url = str_replace(array("  ", "    "), " ", $url);
            
            $urlparse = parse_url($url);
            parse_str($urlparse[query], $query);
            $current_startrow = $query['startrow'];
            $next_set = $current_startrow + $max_results;
            $prev_set = $current_startrow - $max_results;
            
            $next_url = str_ireplace("startrow=$current_startrow","startrow=$next_set",$url);
            $prev_url = str_ireplace("startrow=$current_startrow","startrow=$prev_set",$url);
            
            
            ?>
    <form name="input" action="" method="get">
<input type="text" <?php if($var != ''){echo "value='".htmlentities(stripslashes($var))."'";}else{echo "placeholder='Search'";}?> name="s">
<input type="hidden" name="format" value="html">
<input type="hidden" name="size" value="<?php echo $size;?>">
<input type="hidden" name="startrow" value="0">
<input type="hidden" name="max" value="<?php echo $max_results;?>">
<input type="hidden" name="display" value="id">
<input type="hidden" name="order" value="desc">
<input type="submit" value="Go" style="background:white;font-size:18;text-align:center;width:36;">
</form>
    <?php
            echo "<div id='nav' class='nav'><a href='http://dynainternet.com/dynavid/api/index.php?format=html&size=$size&display=id&order=desc&startrow=0&max=$max_results' style='text-decoration: none'>ALL </a> <a href='$prev_url' style='text-decoration: none'>< PREV</a> -  <a href='$next_url' style='text-decoration: none'>NEXT ></a></div>";
                while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
                    $link_id = $row['id'];
    $link_url = utf8_decode(urldecode($row['url']));
    $link_domain = $row['domain'];
    $link_title =  html_entity_decode($row['title']);
    $link_description =  html_entity_decode($row['description']);
    

    switch($style){
    
    case "default":
    echo "<a href='$link_url' target='_blank' style='text-decoration: none'>$link_title</a><br />";
    echo $video_display = @file_get_contents("http://dynainternet.com/dynavid/api-embed.php?video=$link_url&width=$size&height=$size");
    echo "<hr>";
    break;
    
    case "title":
    echo "<a href='$link_url' target='_blank' style='text-decoration: none;font-color:white;background:black;'>$link_title</a><br />";
    echo "<hr>";
    break;
    
    case "video":
    echo $video_display = @file_get_contents("http://dynainternet.com/dynavid/api-embed.php?video=$link_url&width=$size&height=$size");
    echo "<hr>";
    break;
    
    }
 
                    }
                    
                    echo "<div id='nav' class='nav'><a href='http://dynainternet.com/dynavid/api/index.php?format=html&size=190&display=id&order=desc&startrow=$startrow&max=$max_results' style='text-decoration: none'>ALL </a> <a href='$prev_url' style='text-decoration: none'>< PREV</a> -  <a href='$next_url' style='text-decoration: none'>NEXT ></a></div>";
                    
                } else {
                    echo 'Nothing found';
                }
            
            break;
            
}//end switch
mysql_close();
?>

Edited November 18, 2013 by QuickOldCar

trq · November 18, 2013

Basically they are all simple GET requests

API's can implement many different request methods.

KevinM1 · November 20, 2013

API's can implement many different request methods.

Yup. A good example is Stripe, a payment handling/gateway API.

trq · November 20, 2013

Yup. A good example is Stripe, a payment handling/gateway API.

Github have the best API I've seen / used. Well documented, and well thought out.

trq · November 21, 2013

This book is only brand new (so I haven't read it) and still a work in progress, but this guy knows his shit. Especially when it comes to API design.

https://leanpub.com/build-apis-you-wont-hate

computermax2328 · November 24, 2013

Thanks Trq,

I was actually about to start a topic about web development books and web development theory. I will make sure I add this to my list.

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