Programming Foundations: APIs and Web Services

In this course, Kesha Williams—a distinguished tech leader and innovator—guides you through the dynamic world of APIs. Learn to design, build, secure, test, and optimize APIs using RESTful, GraphQL, and AI-powered frameworks. Discover best practices in API security, including authentication and authorization techniques to protect sensitive data. Dive into advanced topics like pagination, filtering, and sorting to handle large datasets efficiently, and explore AI-driven API management for enhanced performance and security. Step through hands-on challenges to reinforce your learning and test API usability using tools like the Open API Specification (Swagger) and Postman. Gain insights into future trends such as serverless architectures, edge computing, and zero trust security. When you complete this course, you'll be equipped to build scalable, secure, and efficient APIs that drive modern applications.

Learning objectives
Describe the fundamental concepts of APIs and web services, including their types and roles in modern software development.
Develop RESTful APIs using Python and implement best practices for secure and efficient API design.
Explain the advantages of GraphQL and integrate GraphQL APIs into Python applications for flexible data retrieval.
Utilize Generative AI APIs within Python applications and evaluate their ethical implications and practical applications.
Implement security measures for APIs, document and test APIs using industry-standard tools, and explore emerging trends in API technology.