/WorkingWithAPIs

Primary LanguagePython

WorkingWithAPIs

  • Create a new GitHub repository with a README.md, and Python .gitignore file.

  • Clone it to your machine/computer, that will create a new folder on your computer with your repository’s content.

  • Create a new virtual environment in that folder named venv.

  • Activate it and install the Django python package (Hint: pip install django).

  • Also install the django rest framework (pip install djangorestframework)

  • Create a new django project (Hint: django-admin startproject <project_name>).

  • Use your Zuriboard Student ID as the name of the project.

We’ll be creating the beginnings of a URL shortener service.

  • Create a new application using the django startapp command. The app should be called links.

  • Add the links and rest_framework app to INSTALLED_APPS.

  • Create a new file, utils.py in your links app folder. Replace the content of links/utils.py with this starter file https://github.com/TobeTek/Zuri/blob/main/starter-files/Working%20With%20APIs/utils.py .

  • In links/models.py , create a new model Link. It should have the following attributes:

 Link

--------

* target_url : A url path of maxlength 200, use Django’s models.URLField

* description : A string of maxlength 200, use Django’s models.CharField

* identifier: A string of maxlength 20, use Django’s models.SlugField. Set blank=True and unique=True for the field.

* author : A Foreign Key to the current user model. Make use of Django’s get_user_model function.

* created_date : A date-time column, use Django’s models.DateTimeField.

* active :  A boolean (True or False), determining if the shortened URL is publicly accessible. Make use of Django’s BooleanField. The default should be True.

  • We should now have a Link model in links/models.py with a custom save method.

  • Create migrations for your new model using the makemigrations django command.

  • Run all migrations using, migrate django command.

  • To make our Link model accessible from the admin site, register the Link model in links/admin.py .

  • Go ahead to create a superuser, and create some Links from the admin dashboard.

Now for the serializers.

  • Create a new file serizliers.py in the links app. It will hold all the logic for our serializers.

  • Create a new serializer, LinkSerializer, which inherits DRF’s

serializers.ModelSerializer. It should have the following attributes:

class Meta:

model = Link

fields = “__all__”

  • On to the views. We will only allow users to interact with active/public urls through our API.

  • In links/views.py, create a new view/class PostListApi, which inherits DRF’s generic ListAPIView, it’s config/attributes should be:

queryset = Link.objects.filter(active=True)

serializer_class = LinkSerializer
  • Create another view, PostCreateApi, which inherits DRF’s generic CreateAPIView, with attributes:
queryset = Link.objects.filter(active=True)

serializer_class = LinkSerializer
  • Create another view, PostDetailApi which inherits DRF’s generic RetrieveAPIView, with attributes:
queryset = Link.objects.filter(active=True)

serializer_class = LinkSerializer
  • Create another view PostUpdateApi, which inherits DRF’s generic UpdateAPIView, with attributes:
queryset = Link.object.filter(active=True)

serializer_class = LinkSerializer
  • Create another view PostDeleteApi, which inherits django’s generic DestroyAPIView, with attributes:
queryset= Link.objects.filter(active=True)

serializer_class = LinkSerializer

path("api/links/", include("links.urls"))
  • Stage and Commit your Django project and push your changes to your GitHub repository.