How do Web APIs facilitate communication between different software applications?
- By allowing applications to share data and functionality through standardized protocols
- By defining the physical appearance of an application through CSS styles
- By enabling applications to directly execute code from other applications
- By providing a visual interface for end-users to interact with applications
Web APIs facilitate communication by allowing different software applications to share data and functionality through standardized protocols. This enables applications to interact and exchange information, making them more versatile and interconnected.
Which common vulnerability involves unauthorized commands being sent to a database via an API?
- Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attack
- SQL Injection
SQL Injection is a common vulnerability involving unauthorized commands being sent to a database via an API. Attackers can manipulate input data to execute malicious SQL queries, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the database and compromising the security of the API.
How can rate limiting be used in conjunction with API keys?
- To boost API response times
- To eliminate the need for authentication
- To prevent API keys from expiring
- To restrict the number of API requests from a single user
Rate limiting in conjunction with API keys is used to restrict the number of API requests that a single user or application can make within a specified time frame. This helps control excessive usage, protect against abuse, and ensure fair and efficient use of API resources.
RESTful APIs are considered ________ because they do not maintain any information about previous requests.
- Secured
- Stateful
- Stateless
- Streamlined
RESTful APIs are considered Stateless because they do not maintain any information about previous requests. This architectural style allows each request from a client to be independent, enhancing scalability and performance.
Imagine you are tasked with identifying the cause of frequent timeouts in a RESTful API. How would you approach debugging this issue?
- Analyze server logs and performance metrics
- Check the user interface for errors
- Reinstall the API software
- Wait for the issue to resolve itself
B. Analyzing server logs and performance metrics is a crucial step in debugging frequent timeouts in a RESTful API. By examining logs and performance data, you can identify patterns, potential bottlenecks, and the root cause of the timeouts, allowing you to take informed corrective actions. Checking the user interface or reinstalling the software is unlikely to resolve the issue effectively.
You are responsible for testing a suite of microservices that interact with each other. How would you ensure that the integration points are tested effectively?
- Test each microservice in isolation without considering integration.
- Create unit tests for individual microservices but skip integration testing.
- Design integration tests that validate communication and data flow between microservices.
- Rely on manual testing for integration points.
In this case, the most appropriate approach is option C. To ensure effective testing of microservices with interaction, you should design integration tests that validate the communication and data flow between microservices. Options A and B neglect integration testing, which is crucial for detecting issues in the interactions between services. Option D relies on manual testing, which can be error-prone and time-consuming.
In a RESTful API, the HTTP method _____ is used to read a resource.
- DELETE
- GET
- POST
- PUT
In a RESTful API, the HTTP method "GET" is used to read a resource. The GET request is used to retrieve data from the server without making any changes to the resource.
Why would a developer use Postman when working with APIs?
- To create API documentation.
- To order API equipment
- To provide API hosting services.
- To test and interact with APIs.
Developers use Postman when working with APIs to test and interact with them. Postman is a popular API client tool that allows developers to send API requests, view responses, and test the functionality of APIs. It provides a user-friendly interface for making API calls and is widely used for debugging and exploring APIs during development.
A SOAP API uses ________ to format the messages that are sent between the client and server.
- CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
- HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
- JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
- XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
A SOAP API uses XML (eXtensible Markup Language) to format the messages that are sent between the client and server. XML provides a structured way to define and exchange data between applications in a standardized format.
How does GraphQL handle real-time data and subscriptions?
- By periodically polling the server for updates
- By sending email notifications to clients
- By using RESTful APIs
- By using WebSockets to establish persistent connections
GraphQL handles real-time data and subscriptions by using WebSockets to establish persistent connections. This allows the server to push updates to clients as soon as new data is available, enabling real-time interaction without the need for frequent polling, which is both inefficient and less responsive in comparison.