During web development, request parameters are often used to pass data between the client and server when sending and receiving APIs. In this article, We will introduce basic information about request parameters in detail, and also explain how to use URL parameters that are commonly used.
In addition, the API client tool Apidog fully supports all types of request parameters. So if you need to practice with APIs, Apidog is worth trying out.
What are Request Parameters?
Request parameters are mainly used when sending API requests to pass data between client and server. There are many types of parameters that can be used, but the main ones are:
- Query parameters: Used to include GET request parameters in the URL.
- Body parameters: Included in the request body for methods like POST.
- Header parameters: Included in request/response headers, often for authentication and content types.
- Path parameters: Use part of the URL path as a variable to identify a resource.
Kim Haewon
It's common for APIs to combine these parameters as needed. So request parameters are a broad concept referring to all parameters used in API requests.
What Are The Common "URL Parameters"?
So what are the URL parameters that many people often use?
As the name suggests, URL parameters are parameters contained in the URL. More precisely, what many people often refer to as "URL parameters" are actually "query parameters" and "path parameters". Since both query parameters and path parameters are included in the endpoint URL, how do you distinguish between them?
The "URL parameters" people commonly refer to are specifically query and path parameters. Both are included in the endpoint URL, so how do they differ? Let's explain query and path parameters in more detail.
Query Parameters and Example
Query parameters refer to the part of the URL that starts with a question mark (?).
For example, in the case of the following URL,
http://example.com/search?keyword=cat&orderby=date
The part after the ? sign keyword=cat&orderby=dateis the query parameter. Therefore, the following two query parameters are added:
- keyword=cat
- orderby = date
As shown above, query parameters are specified in the KEY=VALUE format (key-value pair), and if you want to add multiple parameters, you can specify them by connecting them with an & sign. Query parameters are used to pass data during GET requests. The server side parses these parameters and performs the necessary processing.
A query parameter is a type of URL parameter that is used to pass data during a GET request. It is OK to understand this as a way to call parameters included in a URL.
Path Parameters and Example
The Path parameter is a parameter that allows you to use part of the URL path as a variable.
For example, suppose you have the following URL.
https://example.com/users/12345
Here, you can use the part usersafter as the Path parameter.12345
https://example.com/users/{id}
You can treat variables {}enclosed in as variables, like this :id
This {id}part is the Path parameter.
This allows you to display different pages with the same URL pattern, like /users/12345, etc./users/5678
The Path parameter is mainly used in the following situations.
- When accessing individual resources such as user pages
- When identifying resources with REST API endpoints
Please understand that this is a mechanism for realizing flexible routing by converting part of the URL path into a variable.
Apidog: All Request Parameters Supported
For sending and receiving APIs, the API tool Apidog is an easy solution. The intuitive UI lets you send requests by filling in the endpoint. You can also design APIs and handle functions like specification generation, testing, and mocking.
For example, with GET requests just enter the URL and query/path parameters are automatically extracted into the parameters fields below. Like:
GET https://example.com/search?keyword=cat&sort=asc&num=30
The keyword, sort, and num parameters are detected and set. You can save the request as an API for reuse too.
Apidog also fully supports other request types like POST, PUT, and DELETE, allowing body and header parameters as well. For testing or practicing with APIs, Apidog is a great fit thanks to its simplicity and features.
Conclusion
In summary, request and URL parameters are key when working with APIs in web development. There are various parameter types to use as needed. Tools like Apidog simplifies API development and testing with intuitive UIs and auto-detection of parameters. After grasping the core concept of parameters, Apidog is recommended for actual API projects.
