How to Connect to Any REST API with No-Code
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The document outlines how to connect to REST APIs without coding, highlighting the use of tools like FME Flow and FME Form for data integration and automation. It discusses key concepts such as API authentication, benefits of REST APIs, and specific features like the OpenAPICaller, which simplifies API interactions. The session also includes troubleshooting tips, a demonstration of automating workflows, and resources for further learning.
How to Connect to Any REST API with No-Code
- 1. How to Connect to Any REST API with No-Code
- 2. Tandra Geraedts FME Flow Technical Support Specialist Bailey Knapp FME Flow Technical Support Specialist Evie Lapalme FME Form Technical Support Specialist Meet the Team
- 3. Welcome to Livestorm. A few ways to engage with us during the webinar: Audio issues? Click this for 4 simple troubleshooting steps.
- 4. How to download slides 1. Hover over the slide deck in the webinar room 2. Click this button
- 5. Agenda 1 What is a REST API? 2 Using APIs in FME 3 Authentication in APIs 4 OpenAPICaller 4 FME Flow REST API 5 Q&A and Wrap Up
- 6. 1 Introduction to APIs and FME
- 7. What is an API? Application Programming Interface Client (FME) Server (Application) API sends requests to the application & sends back information to the client once completed
- 8. Why Use APIs? Users often want to access APIs so that they can: ● Automate manual processes ● Fetch the most up to date data ● Send data to the web ● Integrate applications ● Connect systems
- 9. Important API Terminology ● REST - common type of API, with uniform structure, uses a URL to call a resource ● HTTPMethod - determines the action you are using. (sometimes called verb) ● Request Headers - gives context to the call. What data type is being sent? ● Request Body - specifies the information to be modified, created, or deleted ● Request URL - URL address that allows access to the API and all it’s features ● Query String - provides attributes to query the call & is included at the end of the Request URL. ● OpenAPI Specification - a standardized document of what endpoints are available and what variables the API expects to receive.
- 10. Example API Documentation API documentation should tell you everything you need to know! HTTP Method Request URL Request Headers Request Body
- 11. Automatically send data to a web service. Integrate multiple datasets from multiple services. Create reports using the most up to date data possible. Benefits of REST APIs
- 12. Accessing APIs with No Code ● How can you access an Application Programming Interface without programming? ● Third party tools! ● Third party tools can allow users to access APIs without needing to write any code.
- 13. One platform, two technologies FME Form FME Flow Data Movement and transformations (“ETL”) workflows are built here. Brings life to FME Form workflows FME Flow Hosted Safe Software managed FME Flow fme.safe.com/platform FME Enterprise Integration Platform Safe & FME
- 14. Number of supported data types in FME 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2023… 10 100 300 500 GIS CAD Database XML Raster 3D BIM Web Point Cloud Cloud Big Data IOT Gaming BI Indoor Mapping AR/VR Generative AI Cloud Native Tabular Unrivalled Data Support
- 15. Built in options
- 16. Powerful API Transformers Typically most workflows in FME begin with a Reader that initiates the workflow. However, since most APIs use the HTTPCaller as the Reader. The Creator is used to kick off the workflow. The HTTPCaller is where the call to the REST API is handled. Most REST APIs return JSON. JSON can be parsed in the JSON fragmenter.
- 17. Automating API Driven Workflows What if these workflows need to be run frequently? Avoid manual effort and automate them! ● Schedule jobs that need to run frequently ● Run in response to events in real time ● Create apps to run jobs on-demand
- 18. Slide Title Automatically receive up to date traffic data tailored to my commute Goal Block Key Traffic Data Demo Result Get a lot of unnecessary information when manually looking it up online & time consuming Use FME to get the data directly from the Drive BC API and automate it on a schedule Use FME to receive a custom HTML report with data for my commute route at a set time each day
- 19. Demo
- 21. Why does API Authentication matter? Authentication Verifies the users identity before making a request Authorization Verifies the user has privilege to access the API and are allowed to make the request Protects API’s data, resources, and functionality
- 22. Authentication with FME Basic Sends plain text credentials Digest Sends encrypted credentials NTLM Microsoft protocol, like Digest but more secure Web Tokens Sends a unique identifier for a user OAuth Grants access without sharing credentials Single Sign-On NTLM authentication with Windows user account API Keys Sends a unique identifier for an app Web Connections Authenticated web service
- 23. Authentication with FME Basic Sends plain text credentials Digest Sends encrypted credentials NTLM Microsoft protocol, like Digest but more secure Web Tokens Sends a unique identifier for a user OAuth Grants access without sharing credentials Single Sign-On NTML authentication with Windows user account API Keys Sends a unique identifier for an app Web Connections Authenticated web service
- 24. Authentication with FME Basic Sends plain text credentials Digest Sends encrypted credentials NTLM Microsoft protocol, like Digest but more secure Web Tokens Sends a unique identifier for a user OAuth Grants access without sharing credentials Single Sign-On NTML authentication with Windows user account API Keys Sends a unique identifier for an app Web Connections Authenticated web service
- 25. Authentication with FME Basic Sends plain text credentials Digest Sends encrypted credentials NTLM Microsoft protocol, like Digest but more secure Web Tokens Sends a unique identifier for a user OAuth Grants access without sharing credentials Single Sign-On NTLM authentication with Windows user account API Keys Sends a unique identifier for an app Web Connections Authenticated web service
- 26. Authentication with FME Basic Sends plain text credentials Digest Sends encrypted credentials NTLM Microsoft protocol, like Digest but more secure Web Tokens Sends a unique identifier for a user OAuth Grants access without sharing credentials Single Sign-On NTLM authentication with Windows user account API Keys Sends a unique identifier for an app Web Connections Authenticated web service
- 27. Web Connections ● Safe, convenient storage for connection parameters ● Secure, named containers for workflows ● Compatible with all supported authentication protocols OAuth 2.0 Authentication and Web Services ● Register with Web Services from FME Form: ○ Google Suite, Sharepoint, Dropbox, Slack, etc. ○ Custom connections Creating an OAuth 2.0 Web Service and Connection in FME
- 28. Setting up the HTTPCaller to use Authentication 1. Select “Use Authentication” 2. Choose your Authentication Type 3. Enter your Authentication parameters or select your Web Connection 4. Start making API Calls
- 29. Always check the API documentation! What Authentication Type does this API use?
- 30. Slide Title Use the Movebank database to request and display Bald Eagle migratory patterns Goal Block Key Movebank API Authorization Result How do you connect and authenticate to the Movebank API? How can I format and stream the data back? Use the HTTPCaller Transformer to connect to the API. Use transformers to parse and display the response. A workspace that can connect to the Movebank database on demand, to stream back Bald Eagle migratory area.
- 31. Demo
- 33. OpenAPICaller ● Available in FME Form 2024.1 ● Allows you to access an API endpoint by importing an OpenAPI spec ● Takes in OpenAPI specification through a JSON or YAML file ● Benefit is to auto-populate: ○ Full Request URL, ○ Authentication Method, ○ Query String Parameters, ○ Headers. ● Can also parse the JSON response for you (without extra transformers)!
- 34. Slide Title Configure and access any API endpoint through FME Goal Block Key In this demo.... Result Documentation for endpoint configuration can be confusing. Use the OpenAPICaller Transformer to connect to the API & parse the response. A workspace that can connect to the endpoint selected with simple configuration.
- 35. Demo
- 37. FME Flow REST API ● This allows users to interact with FME Flow programmatically without using the FME Flow interface ○ Cancel jobs ○ Download individual log files ○ Submit jobs asynchronously ○ Create and update schedules ● Get FME Flow job statistics and create monitoring dashboards
- 38. You can try it out yourself ● FME Flow’s REST API allows users to test API calls in the documentation ● Request a token using your credentials to try different API calls and see headers and responses
- 39. Job Monitoring Use Cases ● Get statistics per workspace, schedule or automation and create dashboards ○ Total runs ○ Average CPU Time ○ Average CPU Percent ○ Average Peak Memory Usage ● Monitor activity on Dynamic Engines ● Managing Schedules and Queue Control
- 40. Slide Title Use the FME Flow REST API to get job statistics and display the information in a readable way Goal Block Key Job Statistics with FME Flow REST API Result Unknowns: How do you connect to the FME Flow REST API and authenticate? Use the HTTPCaller Transformer to connect to the API. Use transformers to parse and display the response. And a web connection A workspace that can connect to the API and be used to customize HTML reports to show job statistics from your FME Flow
- 41. Demo
- 42. 5 Conclusion
- 43. Make your enterprise more agile & automated with APIs!
- 44. Summary ● Connect to any API using the HTTPCaller Transformer ● Import API specifications and parse responses using the OpenAPI transformer ● Leverage FME’s REST API to create job statistics reports
- 45. 29+ 27K+ 128 190 20K+ years of solving data challenges FME Community members countries with FME customers organizations worldwide global partners with FME services 30+ 29K+ 128 140+ 25K+ years of solving data challenges FME Community members countries with FME customers organizations worldwide global partners with FME services 200K+ users worldwide Safe & FME
- 46. 6 Resources
- 47. Resources ● Getting Started with REST APIs ● Getting Started with API Pagination ● FME Flow REST API Training ● FME Hub ● Creating Web Connections ● The Ultimate Guide to APIs ● Using the FME Flow REST API to Create Job History Reports ● Creating Web Connectizons in FME Using OAuth 2.0 Authentication
- 48. Get our Ebook Spatial Data for the Enterprise fme.ly/gzc Guided learning experiences at your fingertips academy.safe.com FME Academy Resources Check out how-to’s & demos in the knowledge base support.safe.com Knowledge Base Webinars Upcoming & on-demand webinars safe.com/webinars
- 49. Check out our podcasts on-demand. featuring special guest speakers over at EM360 Resources
- 50. 7 Next Steps
- 51. We’d love to help you get started. Get in touch with us at [email protected] Experience the FME Accelerator Contact Us A world where data is not just a commodity but a catalyst for real change. fme.safe.com/accelerator Next Steps
- 52. ClaimYour Community Badge & Dive into the new Community! ● Get community badges for watching webinars ● community.safe.com ● Today’s code: BXGQYB Join the Community today! Next Steps
- 53. 8 Q&A
- 54. ThankYou Recap of Next Steps 1 Join the FME Community 2 Contact us 3 Experience the FME Accelerator Please fill out our webinar survey Follow us on LinkedIn!