Work with your REST Client
Because REST APIs use HTTP methods to send and receive content, you can test REST APIs using any programming language or tool that supports sending and receiving HTTP messages. So, let's first choose a tool for making HTTP requests.
Note:
Oracle REST APIs aren't OData (Open Data Protocol) compliant.Considerations for Choosing a REST Client
- A standalone client, such as Postman or Advanced REST Client
- Your connecting application's client
Note:
If you're using Visual Builder Studio to access REST APIs, see Create a Service Connection from a Service Specification. To access REST APIs using Oracle Integration Cloud, see Configure the REST Adapter to Consume an External REST API with No Metadata Described in a Document. You can also build your own client to access REST resources. To build a client using the Java programming language, see Accessing REST Resources with the JAX-RS Client API. - The cURL command-line utility
- Test the username, password, and request URL for your REST API account.
- Perform
view
anddescribe
actions to learn more about REST resources, attributes, and parameters. - Use the collected information to construct and send various types of HTTP requests, such as those to create, update, or delete records.
How You Send HTTP Requests Using cURL
In our examples, we use cURL, a popular command-line utility for transferring data using URL syntax, to send requests to REST services. cURL is available in most UNIX, Windows, and Macintosh environments. For details, see Installing the cURL Command-Line Tool on Windows.
The following table describes commonly used cURL options that you can use for REST services.
Option | Description |
---|---|
-user |
Specifies the user name and password for server authentication. |
-d |
Sends the specified data (a JSON request body) to the server. If you begin the data with the @ sign, then @ must be followed by a file name to read the data from. |
-H |
Specifies an extra HTTP header in the request. To specify multiple
headers, precede each header with the Examples:
|
-output |
Writes the output to a file instead of
to |
-X |
Specifies the request method to use when communicating with the HTTP server. The default method is GET. |
The following table shows Oracle Applications Cloud examples of the GET, PATCH, and POST operations using cURL.
Operation | cURL Command Example |
---|---|
Use |
|
Use |
|
Use |
|
How You Send HTTP Requests Using Clients
You can use standalone clients, third-party browser extensions, or add-ons, such as the Advanced REST Client, to send HTTP requests. The following table includes examples of the GET, POST, and PATCH operations using a client.
Operation | Response/Payload Example |
---|---|
GET: Get an opportunity. Request
URL: |
|
POST: Create a new opportunity. Request URL: |
|
PATCH: Update the contact of an opportunity. Request URL: |
|