PHP Web Services

Book excerpt: Whether you’re sharing data between two internal systems or building an API so that users can access their data, this practical guide has everything you need to build APIs with PHP. Author Lorna Jane Mitchell provides lots of hands-on 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. You’ll learn how to use this language to work with JSON, XML, and other web service technologies. This updated second edition includes new tools and features that reflect PHP updates and changes on the Web. Explore HTTP, from the request/response cycle to its verbs, headers, and cookies Work with and publish webhooks—user-defined HTTP callbacks Determine whether JSON or XML is the best data format for your application Get advice for working with RPC, SOAP, and RESTful services Use several tools and techniques for debugging HTTP web services Choose the service that works best for your application, and learn how to make it robust Document your API—and learn how to design it to handle errors