Summary
This comprehensive self-paced 30 hour workshop offers over ten hours of video content, along with quizzes, labs, and hands-on exercises. It covers the essential concepts of REST, HTTP, URLs, markup languages (JSON, YAML, Markdown) and API documentation including OpenAPI Specifications. Learners will gain practical knowledge on consuming external APIs using Db2 functions on IBM i and how to remedy many of the common problems encountered, as well as how to provide their own APIs through IBM Integrated Web Services (IWS). Security is covered in-depth and includes lessons on HTTPS, digital certificates, PKI, cryptography, and OAuth. The workshop also covers Base64 and URL encoding and briefly explores alternative API architectures such as SOAP and GraphQL. This workshop will provide students with a well-rounded foundation for working with APIs in an IBM i environment.
Class duration varies and is based on student activity – maximum of 2 weeks.
Topics Covered
- Development tools for API work
- Understanding web APIs and their importance
- HTTP protocol fundamentals
- RESTful service architecture
- JSON, YAML, and Markdown
- OpenAPI (Swagger) documentation
- HTTP functions and protocols
- JSON parsing and generation
- Building API consumers in RPG
- Error handling and best practices
- Creating web services with Integrated Web Services (IWS)
- Building RESTful endpoints with RPG
- SQL-based web services
- API design principles
- TLS/SSL implementation
- OAuth 2.0 authentication
- HMAC and digest authentication
- URL and Base64 encoding
- SOAP and WSDL (legacy integration)
- GraphQL introduction
Software Required
Group Discounts Available
Patrick Behr
With top-notch programming, database, and analysis skills, IBM Champion Patrick Behr has worked on IBM i (and its predecessors) for the entirety of his 20-year IT career.
Initially focusing on RPG and Db2, he then expanded his skillset to include application and database modernization as well as web development for IBM i. His technical specialties span RPGLE, SQL, APIs, Node.js, PHP, HTML, CSS, Javascript, IWS, VS Code, and more.
As a COMMON Speaker of Merit and Bronze medal winner, Patrick speaks at conferences and user groups across the country. He also serves as Vice President Conference Chair for the OCEAN User Group.
