Separation of Concerns

It is important when sitting down for the first time to build a website to come up with an outline. Start by making a list of the parts of your website and the functions of those parts. I always start at the base of my web structure and work from there. HTML is always the foundation of a website; it defines the structure and outlines how you will display your data – plain and simple. It doesn’t have to include data or styles, nor does it need to be dynamic … At its essence, it’s a static file that browsers can cache.

Client-side scripting languages like JavaScript will take care of client-side animations and data dispersal, while cascading style sheets (CSS) take care of style and presentation, and server-side scripting languages like PHP or Perl can take care of data retrieval and formatting.

Data Transfer

Where is your data going to come from, and what format it will be in when the client receives it? Try to use a data format that is the most compatible with your scripting languages. I use JavaScript as my primary client side scripting program, so I try to use JSON as my data format, but that’s not always possible when dealing with APIs and transferring data from remote computers. JSON is quickly becoming a standard data format, but XML* is the most widely accepted format.

I prefer to use REST APIs as much as possible, because they sends the information directly on the client, rather than using the server as a proxy. However, if a REST API is not available or if there is a security risk involved, you get the advantage of being able to format the data on the server before pushing it to the client. Try to parse and format data as little as possible on the client side of things, the client should be concerned with placing data.

Changes in Data

In the past, websites were made from multiple HTML documents, each one containing different data. The structure of the pages were the same though, so the data changed, but the code was nearly identical. Later, using server side scripting programs, websites became more dynamic, displaying different data based on variables passed in the URL. Now, using AJAX or script injection, we can load new data into a static webpage without reloading. This means less redundant code, less load on the client, and better overall performance.

Page Structure

It is important when displaying data to understand when to change the structure of the page. I start by creating a structure for my home page – it needs to be very open and unrestricting so I can add pictures and text to build the site. Once the overall loose structure is established, I create a structure for displaying products (this will be more restrictive, containing tables and ordering tools). The idea is to have as few HTML structures as possible, but if you find that your data doesn’t fit or if you spend a lot of time positioning your data, then it might be time to create a new structure.

The Impact of a Modern Layout

Following these steps will lead to quicker, more efficient websites. This is (of course) not a new subject, and further understanding of web layout can be found in Model-View-Controller frameworks. If you find that you spend too much time writing code to interface with databases or place data, then frameworks are for you.

-Kevin

*If you have to deal with XML, make sure to include JavaScript libraries that make it easier to parse, like JQuery.

REST API
Although the REST software archetype is a difficult concept to explain, its practice has become natural to those of us who use the internet daily. Imagine that the information that you want to know is saved as a web page somewhere and all you have to do is type in the URL, it will prompt you for a username and password, and you will see the information that you requested.

Authentication
Before making a request you will need to find your API authentication token. To do this, log into your customer account and click API under the Support tab. Click the “Manage API Access” link. At the bottom of the next page you will see a drop-down menu that says “Select a User” and above it a tag that says “Generate a new API access key.” Select a user and click the “Generate API Key” button. You will see your username and the generated API key for that user. Copy this API key, as you’ll need it to send commands SoftLayer’s API.

“Hello World”
Unfortunately, there is no specific “Hello World” command in SoftLayer’s API, but there are some commands that are very simple and don’t require any variables, like the getObject() method. APIs are like component libraries, split into web services and methods of that service. The SLDN has a full list of SoftLayer’s web services to choose from. I am going to use the getObject() method from the SoftLayer_Account service in this example:

https://api.softlayer.com/rest/v3/SoftLayer_Account.xml

• You will be prompted for your username and API access key
• XML data type output

https://USERNAME:PASSWORD@api.softlayer.com/rest/v3/SoftLayer_Account.json

• Automatic authentication
• JSON data type output

The Request
Here is the basic REST request structure:

https://username:API key@api.service.softlayer.com/rest/v3/serviceName/InitializationParameter.returnDatatype

• All requests are sent via secure transfer (https://)
• Listing your username and API key before the URL allows for automatic HTTP authentication
• Service and serviceName both refer to the web service you are trying to access
• InitializationParameter is only used if the method you are calling requires an initialization Parameter
• SoftLayer’s REST API can respond with either JSON or XML data types; replace returnDatatype with the type you would like to receive.

The Data
Looking at the first link above, your browser should be able to output the response data in XML format, showing information about your account. More information about the format of the data can be found on the SLDN wiki.

REST Basics
When you start integrating this into a website you will want to get/make a function or library to handle advanced requests and to properly receive and disperse the response; I recommend using JQuery. This is the most basic example of a function call for SoftLayer’s API, I hope that it will help you get a feel for the information that you will need to pass to our server and the kind of response that you will receive.

-Kevin

The World Wide Web
A browser is a client side application which requests information from a server; the server then accepts the request and transfers data back to the browser. The data transferred is not an application; it simply gives instructions to the client-side application (the browser), which then uses those instructions to properly display some information. Downloading information from a server changes the application state of the browser. The result of that change in state is a new website, which is therefore named the new state, so when new websites are downloaded by a browser, it is transferring representational data for a new application state.

How does REST relate to SoftLayer’s API?
SoftLayer’s API has many different avenues for implementation; one of these avenues is simple data transfer using the GET method in HTTP. Hyperlinks are one of the most basic examples of REST in action. When the user clicks on the hyperlink it requests information from the server and responds by transferring back representational data, in this case the data is expressed as either XML or JSON.

What are the disadvantages of using a REST API?
REST requests must contain all information, including authentication, within the URL. This can lead to security threats somewhere down the line. Luckily, SoftLayer allows you to add any number of users to your account, and then restrict their access to specific servers/services. This way your customers can utilize SoftLayer’s API without a security risk to you or each other. They can even create their own users and further restrict access.

What are the advantages of using SoftLayer’s REST API?
Direct client to server communication is the biggest advantage of using REST. The other protocols that SoftLayer uses to communicate data to the API require server-side scripting; this means that you will have to program your websites to use the host server as a proxy for calling SoftLayer functions. With REST you can directly link to the information that you want to display, using XLST or JavaScript to display it. You can also use AJAX with JSONP or script injection to dynamically update your webpage.

REST
The REST archetype is the most natural API for HTTP. This sets it above others in that there are no secondary programs needed to interact with HTTP (like SOAP), which means less computing time and better performance. REST APIs also don’t need to use a proxy server for remote procedure calls. This decreases server load and bandwidth usage and further increases website performance. SoftLayer’s REST API is easy to implement, and with SoftLayer’s tiered user system its security flaws can be eliminated. This is why I prefer SoftLayer’s REST API over the others.

Basic REST function calls are detailed in the SoftLayer Development Network (SLDN) here.

-Kevin