Restler is a multi-protocol and open source framework for exposing PHP classes and methods as a REST API.
The framework is lightweight (works only with few files) and can be used by any developer experienced in object oriented PHP with no learning curve.
It works with multiple formats: XML, JSON, Plist and AMF. Also, it is very modular which means creating new formats or features is possible.
Restler can convert formats in both ways (requests and responses) and has support for the GET, POST, PUT and DELETE HTTP requests.
P.S. There is a short and informative slideshow about the framework to get you started easily.
Once we build a web application, creating an API for it and enabling anyone to interact with the service easily is a great way to help the application grow.
However, it can be a time-consuming process to build the API from scratch (if you want to build one, check: How To Create An API? -10 Tutorials-).
And this is where FRAPI, an open source PHP API framework for building an API for any web application very quickly, comes in.
The framework is RESTful, simple and only focuses on building the API. It generates the skeleton for you to handle REST calls and you only need to put your business logic in it.
From a web-based interface, it enables you to create the methods, error codes and messages for your API.
Once finished, the PHP files for the methods are created automatically where you can easily add any extra functions.
FRAPI also auto-generates the documentation for the API using the "description" fields of each function.
Requirements: PHP 5.2.4+, "APC & HTTP" PHP extensions, PEAR & "PEAR::HTTP_Request2"
Behind almost every successful web application, there is an easy-to-use & feature-rich API as they simply help the main application to spread into others & reached by more users.
Also, an API-enabled application can be easily developed further using the API itself.
In order to create an API for your web application, here are 10 tutorials to get you started. But before that, you may want to checkout the video: How To Design A Good API and Why it Matters by Google.
PHP
A very detailed yet easy-to-implement tutorial on creating a REST API with PHP.
And, there is a follow-up article: "Making RESTful Requests in PHP" by the same author which can guide you as well.
A detailed tutorial which describes the concepts like REST, SOAP & creates an API step-by-step with PHP.
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