Data API Services

This section provides detailed documentation for the Data API, enabling you to programmatically access and manage your application's data.

Introduction

The Data API offers a RESTful interface for interacting with various data entities within the MSDN ecosystem. It supports standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE for performing CRUD operations. All requests and responses are formatted in JSON.

Authentication

Before you can use the Data API, you must authenticate your requests. Please refer to the Authentication section for details on obtaining and using API keys or OAuth tokens.

Base URL

All Data API endpoints are prefixed with the following base URL:

https://api.msdn.example.com/v1/data

Endpoints

GET/items

Retrieves a list of all available items.

Parameters:
  • limit (integer, optional): The maximum number of items to return.
  • offset (integer, optional): The number of items to skip before starting to collect the result set.
  • sort_by (string, optional): The field to sort the items by (e.g., name, created_at).
  • order (string, optional): The sort order, either asc or desc. Defaults to asc.
Example Request:

GET https://api.msdn.example.com/v1/data/items?limit=10&sort_by=name&order=desc
Example Response (200 OK):

[
  {
    "id": "item_123",
    "name": "Sample Item B",
    "description": "A description for sample item B.",
    "created_at": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z",
    "updated_at": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z"
  },
  {
    "id": "item_456",
    "name": "Sample Item A",
    "description": "A description for sample item A.",
    "created_at": "2023-10-26T09:00:00Z",
    "updated_at": "2023-10-26T09:00:00Z"
  }
]

POST/items

Creates a new item.

Request Body:

A JSON object containing the item's details.


{
  "name": "New Item",
  "description": "Details for the new item."
}
Example Response (201 Created):

{
  "id": "item_789",
  "name": "New Item",
  "description": "Details for the new item.",
  "created_at": "2023-10-27T11:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2023-10-27T11:00:00Z"
}

GET/items/{id}

Retrieves a specific item by its ID.

Path Parameters:
  • id (string, required): The unique identifier of the item.
Example Request:

GET https://api.msdn.example.com/v1/data/items/item_123
Example Response (200 OK):

{
  "id": "item_123",
  "name": "Sample Item B",
  "description": "A description for sample item B.",
  "created_at": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z"
}
Example Response (404 Not Found):

{
  "error": "Item not found."
}

PUT/items/{id}

Updates an existing item by its ID.

Path Parameters:
  • id (string, required): The unique identifier of the item to update.
Request Body:

A JSON object containing the fields to update.


{
  "description": "An updated description for sample item B."
}
Example Response (200 OK):

{
  "id": "item_123",
  "name": "Sample Item B",
  "description": "An updated description for sample item B.",
  "created_at": "2023-10-27T10:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2023-10-27T11:30:00Z"
}

DELETE/items/{id}

Deletes an item by its ID.

Path Parameters:
  • id (string, required): The unique identifier of the item to delete.
Example Response (204 No Content):

Success, no content to return.

Example Response (404 Not Found):

{
  "error": "Item not found."
}

Error Handling

The Data API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate the success or failure of a request. Common error responses include:

  • 400 Bad Request: The request was malformed or invalid.
  • 401 Unauthorized: Authentication credentials were missing or invalid.
  • 403 Forbidden: The authenticated user does not have permission to perform the action.
  • 404 Not Found: The requested resource could not be found.
  • 500 Internal Server Error: An unexpected error occurred on the server.

Error responses will typically include a JSON body with an error field detailing the issue.

Rate Limiting

To ensure fair usage and stability, the Data API enforces rate limits. If you exceed the allowed number of requests within a given timeframe, you will receive a 429 Too Many Requests response. Please consult the Rate Limiting page for specific details.