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API Design

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Best Practices​

1. Versioning​

Always version your APIs to maintain backward compatibility.

Approaches:

  • URL versioning (/v1/users)
  • Header versioning (Accept: application/vnd.company.api-v1+json)
  • Query parameter (?version=1)
  • Content negotiation

2. Error Handling​

Provide clear, consistent error responses.

Structure:

  • Error Code: A unique identifier for the error.
  • Message: A human-readable description of the error.
  • Details: Additional information about the error.

3. Sub-resources​

Handle related resources:

  • GET /users/123/orders
  • POST /orders/456/items
  • GET /teams/789/members

4. Filtering and Sorting​

Support flexible data querying.

Query Parameters:

  • filter[field]=value
  • sort=field:asc,another_field:desc
  • search=keyword
  • fields=field1,field2,field3

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Testing Strategies​

1. Unit Testing​

  • Test individual endpoints
  • Validate request handling
  • Check error responses
  • Verify business logic

2. Integration Testing​

  • End-to-end flows
  • Authentication/Authorization
  • Rate limiting
  • Error scenarios

3. Pagination​

Implement pagination for large data sets.

Parameters:

  • limit/page_size
  • offset/page
  • cursor/continuation token

Response Format:

  • Include pagination details in the response.

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