PHP Web Services - Oreilly - April 2013 | PDF | EPUB |

Whether you’re sharing data between two internal systems or building an API so users can access their data, this practical book provides everything you need to build web service APIs with PHP. Author Lorna Jane Mitchell uses code samples, real-world examples, and advice based on her extensive experience to guide you through the process—from the underlying theory to methods for making your service robust.

PHP is ideally suited for both consuming and creating web services. You’ll learn how to use this language with JSON, XML, and other web service technologies.

Explore HTTP, from the request/response cycle to its verbs, headers, and cookies
Determine whether JSON or XML is the best data format for your application
Get practical advice for working with RPC, SOAP, and RESTful services
Use a variety of tools and techniques for debugging HTTP web services
Choose the service that works best for your application, and learn how to make it robust
Learn how to document your API—and how to design it to handle errors.

Chapter 1 HTTP
Clients and Servers
Making HTTP Requests
Chapter 2 HTTP Verbs
Making GET Requests
Making POST Requests
Using Other HTTP Verbs
Chapter 3 Headers
Request and Response Headers
Common HTTP Headers
Custom Headers
Chapter 4 Cookies
Cookie Mechanics
Working with Cookies in PHP
Chapter 5 JSON
When to Choose JSON
Handling JSON with PHP
JSON in Existing APIs
Chapter 6 XML
When to Choose XML
XML in PHP
XML in Existing APIs
Chapter 7 RPC and SOAP Services
RPC
SOAP
Chapter 8 REST
RESTful URLs
Resource Structure and Hypermedia
Data and Media Types
HTTP Features in REST
Additional Headers in RESTful Services
RESTful versus Useful
Chapter 9 Debugging Web Services
Debug Output
Logging
Debugging from Outside Your Application
Finding the Tool for the Job
Chapter 10 Making Service Design Decisions
Service Type Decisions
Consider Data Formats
Customizable Experiences
Pick Your Defaults
Chapter 11 Building a Robust Service
Consistency Is Key
Making Design Decisions for Robustness
Chapter 12 Error Handling in APIs
Output Format
Meaningful Error Messages
What to Do When You See Errors
Chapter 13 Documentation
Overview Documentation
API Documentation
Interactive Documentation
Tutorials and the Wider Ecosystem
Appendix A Guide to Common Status Codes
Appendix Common HTTP Headers