12 Best Web Or Rest API Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co

12 Best Web Or Rest API Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co Looking to get as prepared as you can for your upcoming technical interview? We have the absolute best API interview questions and answers to help you do just that. In our guide, we're going to cover what interview questions you might want to prepare for and how you might consider answering them to the hiring manager or HR representative that you are speaking with. Why should you study for API interview questions? APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are at the very center of all types of software development. Whether you are a web developer working at a small agency, or even working in technical leadership at a bleeding-edge organization like NASA, understanding APIs, their different forms, and their purposes is essential to growing in your software development career. For this reason, most technical interviews will cover at least some aspect of API design and usage. These questions have been put together to assess a candidate’s understanding of the different types of APIs they may encounter, how to use them, and what their purposes are for from a practical standpoint. Web or Rest API interview questions & answers 1. Describe what an API is and what it is used for, in a practical sense. API stands for Application Programming Interface. Depending on the type of application a developer is dealing with, an API might be defined by a list of URLs or by a list of methodNames() which are available to be called from some software module. There are other ways that an API might be defined, but these are two of the most common ways for defining APIs a developer would work with. An API which is defined by a list of URLs is typically called a web service. You may also hear this type of API described as a RESTful web service, which is a web service API which has some additional important properties. In essence, a web service API is a map between a URL you can access over the internet (e.g. https://www.an-api-example.com/users), and some business logic that will execute within a software module. In the case of the example URL we used above, https://www.an-api-example.com/users, it is likely that this URL would map to some business logic which retrieves a list of users from a database, and returns the list to the person who accessed the URL. If a developer needs a list of users, he can access such a URL and then use the result to render them inside is the application’s user interface. 2. What is an API for a software module, like a Java Class or a Common.js module for example, how is it different than a web-service API? In the case of an API defined by methodNames() in a Java Class or Common.js module, we are discussing an element of software called a module. A software module is some self-contained piece of code that we can “import” into other parts of our application. In a node.js or javascript application the following syntax might be familiar for importing: // two different ways of importing software modules in React import List from ‘list’; const List = require(‘list’); In a Java application the following would look more familiar: import java.util.List After importing our List module, we now have access to a set of methodNames() which are exposed in our list, and we can use them in our own code. For example, we may be able to execute methods like: List.iterate() List.previousElement() List.nextElement() List.empty() List.push() List.pop() List.shift() These method names are the API of the “List” software module. A user can invoke these methods to perform various operations on any List they use within their application. 3. Think of a real-world analogy for an API. How would the flight controls on an airplane’s flight deck be analogous to an API? Although on an aircraft’s flight deck we are usually imagining buttons and switches, these flight controls on an airplane’s flight deck are similar to the APIs we think of in software, because they are simplified interfaces into the complicated inner workings of the aircraft. When an airplane pilot sees his cockpit dashboard, he as an array of buttons in front of him. In a simplified example, he might have 3 primary inputs. 1) A yoke that he can move left, right, up, or down to change the direction of the plane. 2) A button to engage an auto-pilot system. And 3) a system for increasing or decreasing engine power. Whether a pilot uses button 1, 2, or 3, the cascade of events which occur throughout the aircraft is sophisticated and too advanced for most pilots or engineers to be interested in understanding. For example if the 1) Yoke is moved to the left, hydraulic fluid is sent through the aircraft's systems, flaps on the wings and rudders work in synchrony in order to control the direction of the plane, and automated computer systems monitor progress of the action adding in autocorrections and safety alerts in the case of improper usage of the Yoke; the pilot does not have to control these numerous processes manually. Instead, he simply has moved the yoke to the left, and his plane has turned left safely. The yoke provides a simple interface (an API) into the vastly more complicated inner workings of the plane. The end result is “Pilot turns wheel left -> plane engages in a cascading number of actions and then goes left”. This is similar to a web service API or a software modules’ API because a similar goal is shared. A developer (or pilot, in our example), can interact with a vastly sophisticated system by only needing to learn a smaller set of abstracted URLs, methodNames(), or “buttons” available to them. 4. What is one great resource you use to learn about an API as you begin using it? Documentation is key to understanding the usage of an API, and should often be the first place you look to understand the types of API methods available and the sorts of messages or actions you can expect after interacting with those methods. 5. If you have found incomplete or inaccurate API documentation, what are some other options for being productive with the API? Unfortunately, since we live in a world of priorities, full API documentation may not be available for the API you are using. Or, it might have outdated information which proves more confusing than useful. In this case, online communities like StackOverflow often have community-provided answers to the problems that trouble you. Finally, if answers are not available through documentation or the community it is sometimes possible to take a closer look yourself at the API’s codebase to see the methodNames() available for you to call. This is an unfortunate scenario, but perhaps also an opportunity to improve the documentation of a software module! 6. What is a RESTful API? Describe some of its properties. A RESTful API is a type of web service API which has additional properties for it to conform to the formal REST specification. First, a RESTful API should be stateless. This means that the server running the API has no information about the interacting user’s state. In a practical sense, this means that every request to the API must have all the information necessary to fulfill the request, and also that a response given by a stateless API will never depend on information it has held onto from a previous request. A RESTful API should also provide in its responses a reference to where the user can find the next set of resources. For example, if I interact with an API to return me a paginated list of users, a RESTful API will contain in its response both the paginated list of users, as well as the URL from which I can retrieve the next page of users. 7. What are some tools in Node.js that can help you write an API? There are a number of tools called Web Application Frameworks in Node.js that can help to write APIs efficiently. Most of these tools, in general, offer convenience methods for mapping URL traffic to function calls in your application, and for formulating consistent responses. Some of these tools include express.js, koa.js, and koa2.js. There are dozens more, and a search for Node.js Web Application Framework will yield many results for which you can analyze the pros and cons which apply to your project’s needs. 8. According to the HTTP specification, what is the proper response from a web service API when an API request was successful? A successful response from an API web service should read status: 200. 9. According to the HTTP specification, what is the proper response from a web service API when an API request caused an exception within the application and was not successful? A response from an API web service which has suffered an exception and failed should read status: 500. 10. According to the HTTP specification, what is the proper response from a web service API when the given URL cannot be found? A response from an API where the given URL could not be found should be status: 400. 11. In building a web service API, some of its functionality might need to be restricted. What is an example of when you would need to restrict part of a web service API and how? A web service API might need to be restricted for users who have already been logged into the system, for example. Imagine an API for a chat app which requires users to login, Bob cannot access an API response for a Jeffiner’s private message content, because he is not logged into Jennifer’s account. There are a number of ways to accomplish this security, one of which is with the exchange of tokens. When Bob logs into his account at the chat app, after verifying that his username and password are correct, Bob will be issued a token. Once given this token, every time he makes a message in the Chat app, his message can carry this token, and the API can re-verify Bob without needing him to re-enter his username and password. Since Jennifer and Bob do not share one another’s tokens, they are unable to see each other’s content. 11. Look at the following two API URLs. How would you likely infer that they differ? https://my-api.com/api/user/19XDDVVND98DFE and https://my-api.com/api/users? It looks as if the first API URL returns the data for a particular user, while the second API URL returns a list of users. The reason this inference can be made is that typical web service API specifications say that in order to retrieve on an instance of a resource, the URL pattern should include the resource-name followed by the resource-id. In our first URL example, we see that the resource “user” is being followed by an ID we can reasonably assume is a “userID”. The typical specification for a web service URL also says that a list of resources is accessed by its resource-name without any ID to follow. We can see in our second URL example, the resource “users” is defined the URL without any ID to follow. This implies we will receive a list of users in response. Beware that this is not always the case for all APIs you might encounter. Because APIs are human-build pieces of machinery, they often have nuances and quirks which make them differ slightly from expected specifications. For example, some small APIs you encounter might have reversed resource-names and resource-ids in their URLs. This can be confusing! However, it can be an opportunity to discuss with your team, contribute to the project, and improve its specifications. 12. How can a developer test a web service API? Tools called REST clients are an excellent way for a developer to test a web service API. Examples of these tools are Postman or Advanced REST Client. As mentioned earlier, a web service API is typically defined as a list of URLs that a developer can interact with to trigger some behavior in the software. Within a REST client, a developer can define and save this full list of API URLs, and then easily send sample requests to the API to test its functionality as the API is developed. Or simply to experiment and better understand its workings. This can be especially useful in the case that the primary purpose of the web service API is to power a user interface. A REST client removes a dependency between the user interface developers and the API developers, because both teams can test the API before the user interface has finished development.

7 Ways To Contaminate Your Personal Brand and Doom Your Executive Job Search - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

7 Ways To Contaminate Your Personal Brand and Doom Your Executive Job Search

Putting a face to Iraq - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Putting a face to Iraq - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog To many people in the west, the only face we can put to Iraq is Saddam Husseins. There are no Nobel prize winners, movie directors or pop stars that we know of, and the ordinary people of Iraq are equally unknown to us. George Capaccio has travelled in Iraq repeatedly since 1997, and in this article he tells us about the people he knows there, and about their hospitality, generosity, openness and kindness. An example: Or the time I whipped up a real Italian dinner for Suha and her family. During the meal, she and her husband, who had never eaten spaghetti before, began playfully sucking on separate ends of the same strand until their lips touched and they gave each other a brief kiss. Their young sons were so embarrassed they didnt know whether to cover their faces or leave the room. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

A Great Resource For Resume Writing and Networking in Brisbane

A Great Resource For Resume Writing and Networking in BrisbaneIf you are considering organizing a resume writing workshop in Brisbane, it is a good idea to go online and check out the best companies in town that offer this service. You can find these workshops in most cities but the problem is they are usually quite expensive. The benefit is that you get a highly qualified candidate who has been through an intensive resume writing program and so is not likely to be stretched too thin in the role.If you are planning on organizing a resume writing workshop in Brisbane, the best thing to do is search for companies that offer intensive workshops. These companies are very flexible and offer a range of options so you can tailor your workshop to the needs of your company. They will also provide a list of speakers and they will often choose someone who is based in Brisbane so they have their own experience of working in this city.If you are a new company looking to hire a staff member, you m ight want to consider a workshop. You can also check with the career services department at your local university to see if there are any volunteer positions available. While you cannot apply for them they are good for getting a feel for the university life.When considering a workshop it is important to think about what you expect from the workshop. Some companies offer only workshop sessions so that potential staff members can have some hands on training on how to write a resume. The downside to this is that potential staff members may not understand what they should include on the resume. If this is the case they will struggle to communicate the exact nature of their business and may therefore be unable to work well within the organisation.Most companies offer a curriculum which teaches staff members to write a resume, how to prepare a cover letter and how to go about developing a professional business program. These are typically followed by workshops where you are able to take t he course as a fully qualified employee.This allows you to start your business with all the necessary training and the confidence of knowing you know the ins and outs of your new industry.The best companies will generally do a demo day for the first week of the resume writing workshop so that you can learn some techniques on how to format the resume properly. This will help you learn how to make sure the information that you include is correct. After this you are usually given an initial meeting where you are shown around and given the opportunity to ask questions and get to know the people behind the company.Companies can also offer other opportunities such as on site events where staff members are able to get hands on training in the field. Sometimes the company will take on a few staff members on a trial basis so that they can learn more about their business and how they can help clients. This is a good way to get a feel for the industry and to become familiar with the type of pe rson you are looking for.The cost of resume writing workshops in Brisbane can vary widely. There are many companies that offer these workshops and it can be beneficial to check out what each company offers. It is also advisable to find a company that offers other types of services such as business development.

How to Write an Owl - The Basics

How to Write an Owl - The BasicsIf you are looking for a way to impress your potential employer, then Purdue Owl writing a resume may be the answer. It is an important skill to have for any employment as it can be the difference between finding a job and not finding one. Purdue Owl writing a resume is very easy, though there are many other methods of getting a job.To start with, before starting to learn about how to write an Owl, think about your goals. It is not just writing a resume; it is also making sure that your resume looks professional and that it has the right information in it. Think about what you want to tell your future employer. You can choose the subject matter, the title or the content of your resume. What you put in is important because it is your first impression with your future employer.Before doing anything else, you need to know what to include in your Owl. Most resume writers include the necessary information in a resume such as education, job history, skills, and so on. These things should be written in the resume. However, it is the first impression that is given to your future employer, so you need to make sure that it is written in a good way. Remember, a perfect resume will only be seen by future employers, so it is important that your resume is impressive.To learn how to write an Owl, you should first have a grasp of what you want to achieve in the job you are applying for. This is essential for the job market to know how to properly write a resume. For example, if you are looking for a job in customer service, you may want to mention that you have worked in customer service and describe some of the duties you did for different customers.To prepare for writing an Owl, you need to ask yourself some questions. One of these questions is the specific job you want. You should know what you want to do and what type of job you will be applying for.Then, you will need to decide on how you want to write an Owl. If you want to include the dat a you learned from your university, you can include it in the information provided on your resume. You can also add in personal experiences that you have and highlight those that would help the employer to find out more about you.After you have written your Owl, you need to edit the document and proofread it to make sure it is well written. This is an important step as a resume is a reflection of your personality and character. When writing a resume, it is very important to make sure that you have the information correct, including the correct format.

Why No One Is Talking About Writing Accomplishments Example in Resume Visual Merchandiser

Why No One Is Talking About Writing Accomplishments Example in Resume Visual Merchandiser The use of the Visual Merchandiser is extremely important to advance the business brand value. Make certain you tailor your resume for a particular job by including only relevantexperience. If that's the case, it ought to be included on a resume. Make sure that you have an up-to-date and appropriate portfolio that shows a wide selection of your work. Writing Accomplishments Example in Resume Visual Merchandiser for Dummies You might already have tons of achievements and accolades you might not even think to list on your resume. You shouldn't use the expression accountable for on a resume as it can never truly sound to be an achievement. The term accomplishments may be more inclusive than you might imagine. Everyone is able to use a number of the subsequent examples of accomplishments. Writing Accomplishments Example in Resume Visual Merchandiser: the Ultimate Convenience! The last product should appear similar to the professionally written resumes at the peak of the webpage. Be sure your CV details what you personally are interested in and should you compose a blog then make certain that is on there. Your resume was made to sell a single productyou. Don't neglect to mention if you're accountable for floor walking key members of the head office management teams when they're in store. Whether you want to get within that very first visual merchandiser role or take the next step, it's well worth taking time to pause and think about what it is that you are seeking and how you are able to get it. You might also be requested to finish a floor walk or re-dress a floor bay in the authentic store so be ready for anything! Without the entire version accessible, it is going to be difficult to produce the short one. Choosing Writing Accomplishments Example in Resume Visual Merchandiser Is Simple Our resume builder gives you tips and examples about how to compos e your resume summary. In the next guide, you are going to learn the greatest professional strategies necessary to make an expert visual merchandiser resume. With our resume builder you will receive tips and examples to inspire you to construct the most effective visual merchandising resume. With that very first example, you might get a work selling magic wands at Ollivander's. A History of Writing Accomplishments Example in Resume Visual Merchandiser Refuted Leave out the ones that you know at a simple level to prevent the snares of the so-called presenter's paradox. Your key achievements are things that you've done in your current and previous roles that you're really pleased with. Bear in mind you don't only want to earn a list of positive things you've done. Visual merchandisers are the important people employed by branded stores and, increasingly, the on-line world to produce products dazzle consumers with the aid of clever creative displaywork. Gossip, Lies and Writ ing Accomplishments Example in Resume Visual Merchandiser Especially when you have a fashion related level. You don't need to be head to toe in the present selection but a nod to their style can present your passion for their company and good attention to detail. If you are searching for an entry level fashion job you also require an expert fashion resume. When it has to do with applying for work in the fashion business, however, it's ideal to keep it simple. View the objective section for a place to highlight your abilities and accomplishments instead of a wish list for the kind of position you'd love to have. Make sure that you don't simply repeat language from different sections of your resume. While you would like to display your skills in a concise fashion, don't be scared to inject a distinctive voice in your document. You will undoubtedly be tested on your creative abilities and knowledge so remember to are current including all the hottest and future trends.

Transfer Military Skills To Civilian Jobs - Work It Daily

Transfer Military Skills To Civilian Jobs - Work It Daily Many military veterans underestimate their skills when they try to transition into the civilian world. They might think that they don’t have anything transferable, because the working and living in the military is completely different from working and living in the civilian world. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, prior service members can bring skills to the table that many civilians won’t possess. Military members leave the service with strong leadership skills, discipline and drive. These are valuable skills in any industry, especially in the public service sector. Sometimes, military members can have a difficult time expressing these transferable skills to prospective employers when seeking employment. They frequently deal with misconceptions from employers who believe that military members have trouble transitioning to civilian life. Employers might believe that a former service member is too used to dealing with strict, structured schedules and are incapable of making decisive decisions without a direct order. How To Transfer Military Skills To Civilian Jobs A Masters in Public Administration degree can go a long way towards refining and highlights the skills that a service member picks up while they are in. An MPA program can prepare a soldier for a management position in local, state and federal governments, nonprofits, or the private sector. While they were serving in the military, these veterans may not have had the time to get the credentials they need to make it in the civilian world. Luckily, there are opportunities out there for veterans to earn the degree they need and do it quickly. The best part is that the degree program focuses on an area that military members are familiar with: working for the government. In addition, when hiring, many government entities actually give preference to veterans. An MPA degree will help that transitioning soldier stand out from all the other veterans and will help them land the job. In some cases, the skills learned in the military can even be transferable to college credits. This makes getting an MPA degree much faster. Any veteran signing up for an MPA program needs to talk to their adviser about programs that allow them to get credit for the skills they picked up while they were in the armed forces. One of these programs is called the DANTES Military Evaluations program. How these credits are determined changes based on the branch of service and job worked, so it is important to talk to an adviser who specifically works with veterans. Working in public administration can be an incredibly lucrative position. General and operations managers for government entities make a median income of $95,000 per year, with some wages going as high as $200,000. Of course, these positions aren’t available to just anyone. The person who manages a government entity must be extremely familiar with how they work, they must have strong leadership skills and they must be able to manage and work in a structured environment. These requirements make prior service members with MPA degrees ideal for public sector management jobs. An MPA degree can help refine and polish the skills of a transitioning military member, making it much easier for them to qualify for high paying positions. These days, military service might not be enough to guarantee employment. Because of that, many service members find themselves unemployed and frustrated when they try to find work in the civilian world. Getting a Masters Degree in Public Administration can be just what they need to display and supplements their skills. This article was written by Social Media Outreach Coordinator Logan Harper on behalf of CAREEREALISM-Approved Partner, 2U â€" an education technology company that partners with institutions of higher education such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which provides online masters of public administration programs. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!