From Idea to App | Part 2 - APIs and the Front-end

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the backbone of modern web and mobile applications, enabling communication between the front-end (user interface) and the back-end (data storage and logic). With Xano, you can easily create and manage APIs without writing a single line of code. In this blog post, we'll guide you through the process of building APIs using Xano, covering everything from understanding API basics to creating complex endpoints with relational data.

Understanding APIs and CRUD Operations

Before we dive into building APIs with Xano, let's first understand what an API is and the concept of CRUD operations.

An API acts as an intermediary between the front-end and back-end of an application. It translates data from the front-end into a format the back-end can understand, and vice versa. Think of an API as a waiter in a restaurant: you (the front-end) place your order with the waiter (the API), who then communicates it to the kitchen (the back-end) and brings back your meal (the response).

CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations are the standard actions performed on data stored in a database. Xano automatically generates APIs for these CRUD operations, saving you time and effort.

Setting Up APIs in Xano

Xano provides a visual interface to create and manage APIs, making the process accessible to both non-technical users and developers. Follow these steps to set up APIs in Xano:

1. Design your database: Before building APIs, you'll need to design your database schema. Xano's intuitive interface allows you to create tables and define relationships between them. (If you haven't seen part one of this series, we recommend checking it out to learn more about database design.)
2. Navigate to the API section: After designing your database, head over to the API section in Xano. Here, you'll find pre-built APIs for authentication (login, signup, and user data retrieval) and CRUD operations for each of your database tables.
3. Explore the pre-built APIs: Take a moment to explore the pre-built APIs. You can test them by copying the endpoint URL and pasting it into your browser, or by using Xano's built-in run and debug feature.

Creating Custom APIs with Relational Data

While Xano's pre-built APIs are powerful, you may need to create custom APIs to meet your application's specific requirements. Let's walk through an example of building an API that retrieves merchants and their associated deals from our database.

1. Add a new API endpoint: In the API section, click the "Add API" button and select "Get all [Table Name]" from the default options. Name your API (e.g., "Merchants and Deals") and save it.
2. Enhance the API with relational data: Xano's add-ons feature allows you to enhance your API by including relational data from other tables. Click the "Add Add-on" button and select the "Deals" table. Choose the option to return a list of deals for each merchant, and select the "merchant_id" field as the mapping field between the two tables.
3. Test and publish the API: Use the run and debug feature to test your API. If everything looks good, publish the changes to make them live.
4. Add more relational data (optional): You can further enhance your API by adding additional add-ons. For example, you could include information about which deals have been claimed by users by adding an add-on to the "Ledger" table.

By following these steps, you've created a custom API that retrieves merchants, their associated deals, and information about claimed deals – all without writing a single line of code!

Connecting to External APIs

In addition to building APIs based on your own data, Xano allows you to connect to external APIs and incorporate their data into your application. We'll cover this topic in part three of this series, so stay tuned!

Conclusion

Building APIs is a crucial step in the development of web and mobile applications, and Xano simplifies this process significantly. With its visual interface and pre-built APIs, Xano empowers you to create powerful back-ends without the need for extensive coding knowledge. Whether you're a no-code enthusiast, citizen developer, traditional developer, or part of a startup or small business, Xano can help you bring your ideas to life more efficiently.