Prerequisites and Glossary for REST API 2.0

Attribute	Description
API	An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of functions that allows applications to access data and interact with the components of any external software or systems. In simple terms, an API is a bridge that delivers a user’s request to a system and receives the system’s response back.
Access Permissions	Permissions required to perform certain tasks.
Authentication Profile	An Identity management system for a given application/solution providing access to different users. For more information, see Creating an Authentication Profile.
Batch Job	A system performed task that runs scripted jobs on a predetermined schedule. It can be any predefined job like System Backup, Data Maintenance, Generate Report, FTP Data Snapshot, Re-index Search Data, or Scheduled FTP Import. For more information, see Batch jobs.
Body	Also commonly referred to as the “data,” is information that is either requested or received by a server. The body of a request may sometimes require a specific set of information. For example, if you are editing a single Object, the Object ID may be required before any changes are rendered.
Date Formats	Date/Time-> YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ Date-> YYYY-MM-DD Time-> hh:mm:ss
Endpoint	An API endpoint provides the location where the API accesses the resources by requesting the information from a server for which it receives a response.
Errors	Error codes or messages in API responses communicate failure to a developer/user.
Field	Field contains a defined set of information for any corresponding object definition. A field can be of any type - Text, Checkbox, Currency, Decimal, Integer, Date, Time, Email, URL, Password, etc.
Field Data	Field data implies field integration names of the object that the record belongs to.
Formula/conditional formula	all the formulas or conditional formulas will be in base64 encoded format.
Header	The HTTP Headers are usually a vital portion representing the meta-data associated with of any API request and response. These headers may carry information for: Request and Response Body Request Authorization Response Caching Response Cookies
Header data	“Content-Type“ should be matching the content passed in the body . ex: For json Content-Type: application/json for XML Content-Type: application/xml
Methods	A set of HTTP verbs that provide an action counterpart to any API resource. The most-commonly-used HTTP verbs (or methods, as they are properly called) are POST, GET, PUT, and DELETE. These verbs resemble to create, read, update, and delete operations, respectively.
Object	Object holds the entire schema structure of the data fields. In simple, Object definition are the containers for fields, which define the attributes and properties that specify how the individual records are structured, how they will behave, and how they can be accessed. For more information, see Object definition overview.
Parameter	A variable part of an API resource which can be passed with the endpoint to influence the response.
Path	Path is a type of parameter that exists within the endpoint URL. A Path parameter helps to reach the API call down to one single resource, therefore not requiring to build a body in order to reach the required resource.
Record	A string of field data within an object definition. For more information, see Working with records.
Request	An API request occurs when a URL is added to an endpoint to make a call to the server.
Required Parameters	Mandatory parameters, without the specification of which, certain requests may be unacceptable.
Response	An API response usually consists of the response body, headers, and the status code which can be returned in both XML or JSON as response message, depending upon the Media-Type attribute in the HTTP request.
Status Codes	A REST API always return an appropriate status code to the user to know the actual issue and process accordingly. The standard status codes, used in HTTP responses are: 1XX Codes: Informational Codes 2XX Codes: Success Codes 3XX Codes: URL Redirection 4XX Codes: Request Error 5XX Codes: Server error
Trigger	A trigger is a stored procedure that is automatically executed when certain events occur. Triggers can perform automated validation, notification, and data manipulation. A tenant admin can configure triggers to send emails, create audit trail records, validate record data, update field values, change workflow status, create new records, etc.
Versioning	Versioning for endpoints is supported by using a custom header '`Accept-Version`'. Resource structures in META endpoints for requests and responses have been changed for the following: Application (only GET) Object Relationship Field Batch Job Triggers Authentication Profiles If you wish to access a previous version of these endpoints, you must specify the header '`Accept-Version`' with the value '`5.10.0.0`'. The consequent response confirms the version through the 'Content-Version' header. If '`Accept-Version`' is not specified, then the latest version is taken as the default version.

API

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of functions that allows applications to access data and interact with the components of any external software or systems. In simple terms, an API is a bridge that delivers a user’s request to a system and receives the system’s response back.

Access Permissions

Permissions required to perform certain tasks.

Authentication Profile

An Identity management system for a given application/solution providing access to different users. For more information, see Creating an Authentication Profile.

Batch Job

A system performed task that runs scripted jobs on a predetermined schedule. It can be any predefined job like System Backup, Data Maintenance, Generate Report, FTP Data Snapshot, Re-index Search Data, or Scheduled FTP Import. For more information, see Batch jobs.

Body

Also commonly referred to as the “data,” is information that is either requested or received by a server. The body of a request may sometimes require a specific set of information. For example, if you are editing a single Object, the Object ID may be required before any changes are rendered.

Date Formats

Date/Time-> YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ
Date-> YYYY-MM-DD
Time-> hh:mm:ss

Endpoint

An API endpoint provides the location where the API accesses the resources by requesting the information from a server for which it receives a response.

Errors

Error codes or messages in API responses communicate failure to a developer/user.

Field

Field contains a defined set of information for any corresponding object definition. A field can be of any type - Text, Checkbox, Currency, Decimal, Integer, Date, Time, Email, URL, Password, etc.

Field Data

Field data implies field integration names of the object that the record belongs to.

Formula/conditional formula

all the formulas or conditional formulas will be in base64 encoded format.

Header

The HTTP Headers are usually a vital portion representing the meta-data associated with of any API request and response. These headers may carry information for:

Request and Response Body
Request Authorization
Response Caching
Response Cookies

Header data

“Content-Type“ should be matching the content passed in the body . ex: For json Content-Type: application/json for XML Content-Type: application/xml

Methods

A set of HTTP verbs that provide an action counterpart to any API resource. The most-commonly-used HTTP verbs (or methods, as they are properly called) are POST, GET, PUT, and DELETE. These verbs resemble to create, read, update, and delete operations, respectively.

Object

Object holds the entire schema structure of the data fields. In simple, Object definition are the containers for fields, which define the attributes and properties that specify how the individual records are structured, how they will behave, and how they can be accessed. For more information, see Object definition overview.

Parameter

A variable part of an API resource which can be passed with the endpoint to influence the response.

Path

Path is a type of parameter that exists within the endpoint URL. A Path parameter helps to reach the API call down to one single resource, therefore not requiring to build a body in order to reach the required resource.

Record

A string of field data within an object definition. For more information, see Working with records.

Request

An API request occurs when a URL is added to an endpoint to make a call to the server.

Required Parameters

Mandatory parameters, without the specification of which, certain requests may be unacceptable.

Response

An API response usually consists of the response body, headers, and the status code which can be returned in both XML or JSON as response message, depending upon the Media-Type attribute in the HTTP request.

Status Codes

A REST API always return an appropriate status code to the user to know the actual issue and process accordingly. The standard status codes, used in HTTP responses are: 1XX Codes: Informational Codes 2XX Codes: Success Codes 3XX Codes: URL Redirection 4XX Codes: Request Error 5XX Codes: Server error

Trigger

A trigger is a stored procedure that is automatically executed when certain events occur. Triggers can perform automated validation, notification, and data manipulation. A tenant admin can configure triggers to send emails, create audit trail records, validate record data, update field values, change workflow status, create new records, etc.

Versioning

Versioning for endpoints is supported by using a custom header 'Accept-Version'.

Resource structures in META endpoints for requests and responses have been changed for the following:

Application (only GET)
Object
Relationship
Field
Batch Job
Triggers
Authentication Profiles

If you wish to access a previous version of these endpoints, you must specify the header 'Accept-Version' with the value '5.10.0.0'. The consequent response confirms the version through the 'Content-Version' header. If 'Accept-Version' is not specified, then the latest version is taken as the default version.