You can visit that API request URL directly and see what the response data looks like. Note: I didn't make up the URL shown in this example, I read the documentation.

Now that the data is an array, we can loop through it and output all of our brand new cat facts.

Next we convert it into an Array using the json_decode() function.(The response data comes back to us in the form of a string.) First we use file_get_contents() to request the data from the API.But before we continue, let's break down this script a bit and see what it's doing.

Now we can use this technique to get as many random Cat Facts as we want (up to 500 per request). Let's put all these pieces together and write a simple PHP script that will consume the Cat Facts JSON data. Out of the box, PHP provides us with a function that handles both visiting an API and getting its data in file_get_contents(), as well as another function for converting that raw string data into an array in json_decode().Īs for the public API… I'd like to introduce you to Cat Facts, a public API that will provide us with all the facts about cats we could ever want! A method of converting the raw data the API gives us into an array so we can easily process and output it as we see fit.īroken down into their tiniest pieces, each of the above needs are fairly straightforward.A way to visit the API and get its data.A public API that will provide us with data.The first thing we want to look at are the basics of getting data from an API. Hopefully that helps clarify some of the terminology used throughout the rest of this post. Here is an example on an API request URL:Īnd here is how that API request URL breaks down into the terms defined above: Query parameters look like key-value pairs within the URL for the API request. Query Parameters - Part of the URL for an API request that further describes the specific data you are requesting.For example, one of the most common WordPress API endpoints is 'posts', which retrieves Posts from the WordPress website. Endpoint - Part of the URL for an API request that usually defines what type of data you are requesting.This tends to be a domain name such as '', but can also include a path such as '/api'. Base URI - Part of a URL that is the root of a web API request.When you visit a website in your browser, you are making a 'request' to the website's server. Very similar to visiting a website in your browser. Request - An interaction with a web API.Literally, 'a thing developers can use to interact with another program'. API - Application Programming Interface.Seems pretty straightforward huh? I think so too, but before we go any further let's define some of the terms that appear throughout this post. Create a Drupal 8 module that consumes an API and displays the data on your website.Explore the popular Guzzle PHP library.Look at what it takes to fetch and consume JSON data in general.Enough of the sales pitch, let's get started consuming JSON APIs. It's no surprise that you'll eventually want to consume some random API while developing a Drupal website. There really is an API for almost anything. In fact, every WordPress site comes with an active JSON API out of the box. That's because pulling 3rd party data into your website can not only enriches your website's content, but doing so can prevent the need to duplicate commonly needed data.ĪPI provided data could include displaying weather information, going through projects, looking through census results, or even displaying Magic the Gathering card data. Nowadays everyone has an API and it's fairly common to want a website you're working on to fetch data from a 3rd party API.

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