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Web API is a Requirement

Modern, successful websites and e-commerce applications are built with these goals in mind:

  • Creating an API for third party developers, affiliates and clients to accelerate business development and get maximum exposure
  • Accessibility from any device to address maximum audience
  • Captivating and seamless user experience (UX) to keep audience engaged
  • Leveraging external web assets to augment own content (mashups)

Many successful websites have been around for many years and have not been designed with API in mind. They use technologies such as PHP, ASP.Net, JSP (Java Server Pages). Unfortunately these technologies can only weave dynamic content into a web page upon page reload, which drastically takes away from user experience.

An engaging user experience (UX) can be accomplished with browser-side HTML5 application logic but that requires data accessible as HTTP resources, typically represented as JSON or XML documents. To facilitate those resources a RESTful web service (API) must be developed.

But, development of a RESTful web service can be very time consuming and costly. /db can easily save 90% of the time required to develop a REST API.

API on the Fly™

/db instantly constructs a RESTful web service out of relational databases. It works with any website and has complete coverage of relational database management systems (RDBMS) such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle and MS-SQL Server and others. /db API is ready to use in a matter of hours.

Diagram depicts SlashDB installed in DMZSet up an API in Hours Not Months

/db can be installed next to your web server and a database. Once installed a simple database connection configuration is all that is necessary to produce an API.

Easy as 1, 2, 3 (and 4)

Simplicity and time saving are really the main selling points of /db when it comes to building an API.

The typical process goes like this:

  1. Install /db next to your web server and database (2 hrs-3 days depending on environment)
  2. Fill out one web form to connect /db with your database (15 minutes tops)
  3. /db discovers database content and makes everything addressable by URL (45 seconds)
  4. Add custom queries for access by URL as needed (10 minutes per query if that)

/db will connect to the database and discover its layout and content so that every table, record or field becomes addressable by URL for reading and writing by authorized websites or third party applications. From that point you can decide which URLs and what data formats to utilize. In addition to automatically discovered database resources /db allows you to configure SQL queries, which become accessible by URLs too.

Instantly the black box that is your database, which only software developers could look inside becomes accessible to any authorized person who can use a web browser including prospective clients and partners. Best of all once the API is up it can be used in web and mobile applications as well as desktop business tools like Excel and others without having to repeat data access code.

Search Engine Friendly, Ecommerce Magic

/db creates hyperlinks to all your information and automatically links related records together. In addition to JSON, a plain HTML representation is also generated so one can literally browse through the data. So can a search engine (if you let it).  /db allows you to very easily submit your HTML API endpoint to a search engine such as Google or Bing for automatic discovery. Businesses running database-backed e-commerce software such as Magento or Zencart can instantly open their catalogs to organic indexing in search engines. Imagine the possibilities this can bring.

Let’s Get Started Today

Let us deliver /db in the way you want it. Try it FREE now on you PC, in  your data center or in Amazon Elastic Cloud.

Questions?

Please contact us for a guided demo using the button below. See also How it works and Solutions pages.

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