Exercise: Extracting Data with a REST API

Example

Let's see an example of using an API to extract data.

Suppose we’re developers working for a cryptocurrency company. Our company is buying cryptocurrency data from a third-party data vendor that has an application that offers simple price reports for various currencies for the last 24 hours.

Let’s take a quick tour through their app. First, click the live-app widget below to run the app. We should reach the home page of the application.

Next, click the tab “Symbols” on the top to reach a page showcasing all the cryptocurrencies available.

This is all well and good, but how can we extract data from this third-party application? We can’t directly access their databases and servers. Luckily, the developers at the third-party company have made sure to create an API that allows authorized clients (such as developers at our company) to make GET requests and extract their data. They chose to authenticate their clients using an API ...