Welcome to the materials for the JSON and web APIs Tech Lab. The materials are simple and include a PowerPoint and interactive Jupyter Notebook. To download the materials, simply click the green "Clone or Download" button in the top right corner of the screen and select "Download Zip". To run the Jupyter Notebook directly from your web browser, click the "launch binder" button above.
Web APIs are powerful tools that provide users a way to query data using the internet. Data is often returned to users in the flexible JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format, leading to web APIs and JSON often being taught hand-in-hand. Web APIs have all sorts of uses, from healthcare data from international governments, to showing the New York Times' most recent Best Sellers list, to getting a random photo of a beagle puppy.
This Tech Lab includes a brief introduction to web APIs and JSON in its accompanying PowerPoint, explaining the how and why of web APIs. The Jupyter Notebook provides users a way to apply what they've learned in the PowerPoint and get started with working with web APIs using Python. This Tech Lab is intended for those with no knowledge of JSON or web APIS, but it is helpful to have an introductory understanding of Python in order to understand the implemention portion of the lab.