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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.

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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.

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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

Create a REST API with 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.

How to Add an API to your Web Service (PHP)

A detailed tutorial which describes the concepts like REST, SOAP & creates an API step-by-step with PHP.

Implement a Rest API with the Zend Framework

This example utilizes controllers in an MVC style application. Most of the stuff is handled by an instance of  Zend_Rest_Server so it shows implementing to our service.

Creating a Simple REST API With VB, PHP and MySQL

This article covers both creating an API with PHP where the data is stored in a MySQL database & reaching to the API with a VBScript file.

Create Your Own Custom API (PHP)

The tutorial describes a PHP API returning XML data in 6 steps:

• Create Your Own Custom API
• Developing the basic API layout
• The Client
• The Server
• The Server Class
• The "Test" Step

Towards RESTful PHP – 5 Basic Tips

Ok, this is not a tutorial but includes very handy tips that can be used when creating a REST API with PHP for the security & ease of usage of the API.

Rails

Creating Open Web APIs: Exploring REST and WOA in Rails 2.0

As Rails automatically offers URL addressable resources for all the data in a Rails web application, every Rails application already has a ready-to-go RESTful API". The tutorial explains how to use it in detail.

How to Make an API for a Rails App?

The article describes the 2 options for creating an API:

• HTTP Basic Auth
• Using API key

and provides example codes o get you started.

Putting REST on Rails

The tutorial uses the RESTful Rails Controller & creates a simple RESTful Rails application with a full test suite and HTTP method dispatching.

ASP.NET

Create REST API using ASP.NET MVC (JSON & XML)

A solid start to creating your own REST API with ASP.NET MVC.

Considering, depending on the type of the request you may want to sendXML or JSON data, the tutorial provides a class which can return both.

Other Information on APIs

There are also various frameworks for creating APIs easily like WSO2 WSF, Recess PHP framework, Tonic & more.

Books On Creating An API

• RESTful Web Services
• Building Scalable Web Sites: Building, scaling, and optimizing the next generation of web applications
  
• RESTful PHP Web Services
• Pro PHP XML and Web Services
• Web Development Solutions: Ajax, APIs, Libraries, and Hosted Services Made Easy
• Practical API Design: Confessions of a Java Framework Architect
• Java Web Services: Up and Running
  
• Developing Web Services with Apache Axis2

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