A Day of Discovery: Highlights from API 101 using Postman

Introduction:

In this article , I will be discussing regarding the insightful session which I attended. I had entered the session with 0 knowledge regarding the topic of Postman API, but I exited the event premises by taking a lot of practical and theoretical knowledge.

Speaker and Organizer:

Speaker: The speaker of the event was a current third year computer branch student ; Sahil Vichare who is a postman student expert and also a MERN stack developer. Sahil likes speaking on web development and is a tech enthusiast. 

 

Organizer: The event was organized by Codestorm;  which is a departmental club in Modern Education Society’s Wadia College of Engineering, Pune. The club focuses on organizing technical and coding events that will help students to enhance their skills and upskill themselves.

I appreciate Sahil Vichare for providing such a session full of practical knowledge and also codestorm team for organizing usefull session as always.

Engagement and Interaction:

During the session , the audience demonstrated a high level of engagement and interaction by asking provoking questions and sharing their views on the questions asked. One particularly interesting discussion revolved around how APIS’s are used in the field of web development , I wasn’t much familiar that API’s could be used in web development, but the speaker also explained regarding the same that how API’s help function the websites and help in interacting. The technical concepts were explained by correlating them with real life examples. I remember how Sahil explained the interaction between server , API’s and client with the example of a person, waiter and  chef; it helped in understanding how API’s helps in interacting with the server. Similarly all the concepts were taught and explained with the help of real life examples which helped the attendees get a better clarification.

Key takeaways from event:

API: API stands for Application Programmable Interface; which are used to help client to interact with the servers. API’s help to improve efficiency and accuracy of the developed software. Most importantly they reduce the developers efforts of rewriting the code.

Postman methods:

These methods play a pivotal role in API development and testing, enabling the developers to interact with API’s seamlessly.

Understanding HTTP methods

Before diving into postman methods its essentials to grasp the basics of http methods. HTTP defines a set of request methods to indicate the desired action to be performed for a given resource.

1.   GET: GET method retrieve data from a specified source. Using GET you can easily send GET requests to an API endpoint and receive data in response.GET request are typically used for fetching information and are considered safe and idempotent , meaning they do no modify the server’s state.

2.   POST: POST method is used to submit data to be processed to a specified resource. You can create post request to send data such as form submissions or JSON payloads to an API endpoint

3.  PUT: The PUT method is used to update or replace an existing resource with data.  In postman , you can put data request to update resources representation on the server. PUT requests are idempotent, meaning that making the same request multiple times will have the same effect as making it once.

     DELETE: As the name suggests , it is used to delete a specified resource. In postman you can send a delete request to an API endpoint to remove resources from the server.

5.  PATCH: PATCH method is used to apply partial modifications to a resource. Unlike PUT which replaces the entire resource , PATCH is used for making partial updates.

All these methods have a status code associated with each of it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the session offered valuable insights and practical knowledge that are highly relevant to the field of software development. With APIs playing a central role in modern application development, understanding how to effectively utilize Postman methods is essential for building robust and reliable software solutions.

Throughout the session, we've explored the fundamentals of HTTP methods and their implementation within the Postman platform. From retrieving data with the GET method to submitting forms with POST, updating resources with PUT, deleting data with DELETE, and applying partial modifications with PATCH, each method serves a distinct purpose in API communication.

Furthermore, we've examined real-world applications of Postman methods in scenarios such as e-commerce, highlighting how these techniques can be leveraged to streamline communication between client-side applications and server-side APIs. By mastering Postman methods, developers can ensure seamless integration, enhance user experiences, and build scalable and efficient software solutions. 

As we continue to innovate and evolve in the digital landscape, the knowledge and skills gained from this session will undoubtedly empower us to tackle complex challenges and drive progress in the field of software development. So, let's apply what we've learned, experiment with different scenarios, and continue to push the boundaries of what's possible with Postman methods. Together, we can build a future where APIs seamlessly connect the world and empower us to create transformative solutions