Read and Write to REST-Enabled Databases

Accessing and manipulating data stored in databases is a fundamental aspect of software development. With the advent of REST (Representational State Transfer) architecture, interacting with databases has become even more streamlined and accessible.

In this article, we will explore the intricacies of reading and writing data to REST-enabled databases, covering essential concepts and providing practical examples along the way.

Understanding REST-Enabled Databases

REST-enabled databases expose their functionality through RESTful APIs, allowing clients to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations using standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). These APIs provide a uniform interface for interacting with the database, making it accessible from any programming language or platform that supports HTTP requests.

• Endpoints: RESTful APIs expose endpoints for different database operations. Each endpoint corresponds to a specific resource or collection within the database.
• HTTP Methods: CRUD operations are mapped to HTTP methods as follows
  • GET: Read data
  • POST: Create new data
  • PUT/PATCH: Update existing data
  • DELETE: Delete data
• Request and Response Formats: Requests and responses are typically formatted as JSON or XML, providing a standardized way to exchange data between the client and the server.

Read, Write, and Test

• Sending Requests and Inspecting Responses: Utilize Postman to send requests to the database API endpoint for reading and writing data. Inspect the responses returned by the server to verify the success of the operations and to gather relevant data for further processing.
• Adding Tests to Make Assertions About Database Responses: Implement tests within Postman to assert the correctness of the database responses. These tests can encompass various criteria, such as the status code of the response, the content of the response body, and the consistency of the data retrieved or modified.

Example: Todo List Application with a REST-Enabled Database

Let’s consider a simple Todo List application where users can create, read, update, and delete tasks. We’ll use a REST-enabled database to store and manage the tasks.

1. Setting Up the Database

For this example, we’ll use a mock REST API provided by JSONPlaceholder (https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/). It offers a set of endpoints for simulating CRUD operations on JSON data.

2. Reading Data

To retrieve tasks from the database, we’ll send a GET request to the /todos endpoint

GET  /todos

Response

[
  {
    "userId": 1,
    "id": 1,
    "title": "Walking",
    "completed": false
  },
  {
    "userId": 1,
    "id": 2,
    "title": "Reading",
    "completed": false
  },
  ...
]

3. Creating Data

To add a new task to the database, we’ll send a POST request to the /todos endpoint with the task details in the request body:

POST  /todos

Content-Type: application/json

{
  "userId": 1,
  "title": "Buy groceries",
  "completed": false
}

Response

{
  "userId": 1,
  "id": 201,
  "title": "Buy groceries",
  "completed": false
}

4. Updating Data

To update an existing task, we’ll send a PUT request to the /todos/{id} endpoint with the updated task details in the request body

PUT  /todos/201

Content-Type: application/json


{
  "userId": 1,
  "id": 201,
  "title": "Buy groceries",
  "completed": true
}

Response

{
  "userId": 1,
  "id": 201,
  "title": "Buy groceries",
  "completed": true
}

5. Deleting Data

To delete a task from the database, we’ll send a DELETE request to the /todos/{id} endpoint:

DELETE  /todos/201

Response

HTTP 200 OK

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored how to read from and write to REST-enabled databases using HTTP methods. We’ve covered key concepts such as endpoints, HTTP methods, and request/response formats, and provided a real-world example of building a Todo List application with a mock REST API.

By understanding and leveraging RESTful APIs, developers can interact with databases efficiently and securely, enabling the development of robust and scalable web applications.